The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Plan for drones to cut delivery costs across rural areas
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has given his backing for a trial of parcel delivery drones in the area.
The proposals have been put forward by Iona Drones, a company concentrating on reducing the cost of postal deliveries to remote and rural areas by utilising a novel drone approach.
Under the plans, autonomous fleets of electric drones would take over the last, often most expensive, section of deliveries from traditional vans to offer a cheaper and more sustainable option for consumers in lowpopulation areas, such as Moray
Research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) indicates that the additional cost to Scottish adults in areas commonly impacted by parcel delivery surcharges relative to the rest of Scotland now stands at £45 million.
Mr Lochhead, who has led the campaign for fairer parcel delivery charges, recently met Iona Drones and has described the plans as “ambitious” with the potential to make a real difference to combating extortionate and illogical delivery fees faced by some customers in rural areas.
Commenting, Mr Lochhead said: “It was good to meet the team from Iona and hear first-hand their proposals to provide clear and affordable parcel delivery rates for all customers by utilising drones.
“Due to continued inaction from the UK Government on this issue, customers and businesses in our area are regularly being hit with eye-watering charges for deliveries every day, so it is innovative solutions like this that will help end unfair parcel delivery charges in areas like ours.
“The plans put forward by Iona are certainly ambitious and could revolutionise the way deliveries are carried out in many rural areas by showcasing a new tech solution to this problem, so I’m keen to work with Iona and other stakeholders to look at a trial of this system here in Moray.”