Consumer fears over delivery curbs

Almost a third of people think restricting online shopping deliveries would have a negative impact on their life, a survey has found.

Research commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that 32 per cent of people believe the quality of their day-to-day life would be affected if goods bought over the internet took longer to arrive.

A spike in van mileage due to online shopping has been blamed for contributing to increasing congestion on the roads.

London mayor Sadiq Khan says he wants to reduce the number of vans entering the centre of the capital during the morning peak by 10 per cent in the next eight years and consumers fear other cities could follow suit.

Latest Department for Transport figures show van traffic grew more quickly than any other vehicle type in Britain in 2016, rising 4.7 per cent from the previous year.