Barcelona tests a six-month loading and unloading model exclusively for bars and hotels

Barcelona City Council and UOC are launching a pilot project in Ciutat Vella that turns delivery vehicles into mobile microhubs to streamline deliveries to bars, restaurants, and hotels.

The Barcelona City Council has initiated a six-month pilot test in the Ciutat Vella district to reorganise loading and unloading for the hospitality sector. The model, called Horeca Hub Barcelona, has been devised by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) together with Adiscat and has been selected by the city council, Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility, Fira de Barcelona, and Mobile World Capital.

The proposal involves delivery vehicles operating as mobile microhubs. From reserved spaces, delivery personnel complete deliveries to establishments on foot or using light means, and on the same route, they collect returns or packaging to take back to the vehicle.

To coordinate the entire process, Horeca Hub incorporates a digital platform that manages space reservations, detects vehicle arrivals, controls usage times, and records each delivery and collection. The system is supported by the knowledge of several research groups from the UOC.

“The regulation of loading and unloading is designed for parcels, and the hospitality sector has a very different operation”

This was pointed out by Cristian Castillo, a professor of Economics and Business Studies at UOC, who hopes the test will help identify where the main problems arise.

During the six months of the trial, data will be collected on delivery times, routes taken, the number of vehicles needed, space occupancy, and the experience of both distributors and establishments.

The trial takes place in an area with a high concentration of bars, restaurants, cafes, and hotels, where logistical activity competes daily with public space. The goal is to organise operations without increasing pressure on the streets.

The results will help the City Council decide whether to extend the model to other parts of the city. The experience begins this month and will last until the next semester, with continuous monitoring of the data generated by the platform.