The Madrid City Council will deploy around twenty lockers for package collection on several streets in the Cuatro Caminos area of Tetuán in the coming weeks. This initiative, aimed at "optimizing last-mile logistics," will be implemented as a pilot plan lasting approximately twelve months in commercial zones.
The lockers, which will have a maximum height of 2.20 meters and a minimum width of 1.85 meters, will be located on streets such as Dulcinea, Hernani, Juan de Olías, Castellana, Ourense, General Perón, and Ávila. They will occupy spaces near charging points and will also replace bicycle parking areas that, according to the council, have "low utilization." The colors of the structures must be approved by the City Council.
The Mobility department, driving this project, argues that these storage units can reduce travel and improve Urban Goods Distribution (DUM), which currently accounts for 10% of the vehicle fleet in Madrid but represents 20% of congestion and 30% of pollution.
“"The answer to Last-Mile delivery already exists, it's called neighborhood commerce. That delicatessen, hardware store, bookstore that everyone knows by name, which generates local employment and keeps the social fabric of the neighborhood alive. That's what needs to be supported, not destroyed."
From Más Madrid, however, the measure is criticized as a "direct attack" on local businesses and a "new concession" of public space to large logistics operators. Councilor Sara Ladra has warned that these lockers will directly compete with small neighborhood shops, which already serve as package pickup and delivery points. Ladra also criticized the placement of some lockers in bicycle parking areas, calling it a "trick" to "take space" from bicycles in favor of last-mile delivery companies.
