UK’s first shared e-cargo bike scheme launches in London

This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News.

The UK’s first public e-cargo bike-sharing scheme is being launched in east London this month to help residents and businesses move goods using low-carbon transport.

Eight new electrically assisted cargo bikes, each capable of carrying up to 80kg, will be available to rent from four docking stations across the borough of Hackney.

The scheme is funded by the Mayor of London and the tri-borough Zero Emissions Network, which helps residents and businesses in Tower Hamlets, Islington and Hackney save money, reduce emissions and improve local air quality.

Councillor Mete Coban, Hackney Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm, said: “Cargo Bike Share is a nationwide first, and is one of the many ways we’re working to rebuild a greener Hackney in the aftermath of the pandemic – with cleaner air, healthier lives and better neighbourhoods for all of our residents and businesses.”

The bikes will be available to hire through the Beryl app and docking stations are being installed this month.

Beryl Chief Executive Philip Ellis said: “For last-mile deliveries or short journeys, e-cargo bikes are by far the best and often the most time-efficient way to move large or heavy items.

“By replacing vans, a network of e-cargo bikes has the potential to transform local areas making them safer and more pleasant to live and work in.”

Velo-city 2021

Efforts to move more Europeans onto two wheels have stepped up in recent years, with more cities investing additional time and money in cycle-related projects.

Speaking at the Velo-city 2021 conference in Lisbon last week, Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation, said: “It cannot be said enough: there is no conceivable way to achieve the sustainable development goals, the European Green Deal or climate-neutral cities without significantly more cycling.”

The four-day conference, held both in-person and digitally, brought together cycling experts from all over the world to discuss the latest trends in the industry.

On the sidelines of the event, Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt received an award for the promotion of cycling from the Cycling Embassy of Denmark, after unveiling a plan to triple the use of bicycles by the city’s residents by 2030.

“I am very honoured to receive this prize,” said Van den Brandt.

“It’s a prize I share with the many thousands of Brussels residents who choose an alternative and thus join the fight against air pollution and car pressure in our city.”

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