Route adjustment of trucks improve conditions for neighbourhood
The residents of Groot Grimbergen had been experiencing inconvenience from through freight traffic in their neighbourhood since the end of last year, until resident Geert Roelants wrote a personal e-mail to Jo Van Moer, owner and CEO of the eponymous logistics company. The company immediately entered into discussions with its partners, together with the residents, to implement a route adjustment that would significantly reduce the nuisance in the short term.
3 December 2021
Since the end of last year, local residents have noticed a sharp increase in freight traffic in their streets, with through traffic causing nuisance such as earth tremors, high noise levels and dangerous traffic situations.
612 families signed a petition with an explicit demand for slower and safer freight transport in Groot Grimbergen. Some local residents also contacted the local government to raise the problem, but unfortunately those discussions came to nothing.
At the end of September, resident Geert Roelants decided to take a different approach. Thanks to several counts by local residents, it was known that a large number of the trucks came from the logistics service provider Van Moer Logistics, and Roelants subsequently sent a personal e-mail to Jo Van Moer, owner and CEO of the company.
Geert Roelants: "One evening, I took the time to explain the situation in an e-mail to the owner, not knowing whether the e-mail would be read or whether I could expect any reaction. To my surprise, a few days later I was called by someone from the management team of Van Moer Logistics."
Jo Van Moer: "The situation was unfortunately unknown to us and we did not hesitate for a second to enter into a dialogue with the local residents. In consultation with them we have put the problem on the table with our local department and our partner in Grimbergen whose distribution centre we supply. We believe it is very important to build and maintain a good relationship with all our stakeholders. For us, that is also an element of sustainable enterprise."
Together with local residents and the manager of the distribution centre, the logistics company investigated the options for reducing the nuisance, and an alternative route for the lorries was mapped out. Since October, the trucks of Van Moer Logistics follow the new route to transport the containers to and from the distribution centre. To reach Cargovil, lorries now take the A12 in the direction of Brussels via the Brussels ring road, after which they take the exit Brucargo on the E19 in the direction of Antwerp and arrive at Cargovil via the Woluwelaan.
The inhabitants are relieved that, thanks to open discussions between the neighbourhood and the local industry, a solution has been found that can be implemented in the short term.
"It is once again more pleasant to live, relax and sleep in our streets," says Geert Roelants. "We are impressed by the constructive feedback, the initiative and the adaptability at short notice of Van Moer Logistics. We would therefore like to thank them sincerely for their efforts and hope that other transporters will follow suit."
