The Freight Transport Association has declared itself confident that fleet operators in Glasgow are ready and prepared for the Commonwealth Games, with the route network having gone live on the 25th July. During the games, which begin on 23rd, there is likely to be a heavy increase in the demand for goods and services.æ However, the FTA has set that it is well placed to meet these demands as a result of careful planning by the freight and logistics industry. Chris MacRae, the head of policy for FTA Scotland, said: 'The Commonwealth Games should be great for Glasgow and the freight and logistics sector will obviously play its part in ensuring both that existing business customers of freight are still served as best they can despite the traffic restrictions that the Games bring, and also that the increased demand for freight due to the large influx of visitors is delivered. "Any event such as this causes strain on the supply chain but freight and logistics businesses are good at working round this to make sure the shelves of shops are stocked with food.î It had looked for a while that the event might not be managed effectively, with organisers having apparently been slow releasing initial information about the freight restrictions that would be put in place as a result of the games. As a result of FTA lobbying in both private and public, the Games Route Network (GRN) and LATMPs (Local Area Traffic Management and Parking plans) were made available, allowing fleet operators to get the necessary data that would allow them to manage everything around the games. MacRae said: 'FTA has worked from day one to ensure our members got the information necessary to help them plan to deliver for their customers _ the businesses and citizens of Glasgow _ around the restrictions that the Games inevitably impose.î FTA will continue to provide information to its members throughout the games, and will ensure that logistics can continue to run smoothly.
