The West of England is pedalling its way to a greener future thanks to a brand-new e-cargo bike trial scheme from the Combined Authority led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
From hospitals to universities, the West of England Combined Authority’s £920,000 investment will encourage pedal power with more goods and services delivered by e-cargo bikes rather than diesel vans. A year-long trial will take place from June 2022 to June 2023.
The Metro Mayor tried out the bikes on offer when he joined Bristol Royal Infirmary, the University of the West of England and other trial participants at a ‘try before you trial’ event held by the West of England Combined Authority. The event offered participants a choice of four different models of new cargo bike to trial.
Using GPS trackers, the trial will monitor the carbon savings of the fast, reliable and clean bikes. With recent estimates suggesting e-cargo bikes deliver about 60% faster than diesel vans and cut carbon emissions by 90%, the Mayor says the bikes will mean less pollution and congestion across the West of England, good for the environment and good for the region.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “If we are going to reach our ambitious net-zero targets, we urgently need to put on the brakes and re-evaluate how goods move across our region. I’ve spoken to many smaller businesses who sing the praises of electric bikes, but getting these larger organisations to sign up is a significant step. I’m proud that the West of England Combined Authority under my leadership is helping ensure polluting diesel vans are a thing of the past. From groceries to medical supplies, e-cargo bikes can help cut congestion and clean up our toxic air. That’s a win-win for our region.”
The Mayor met trial participants including Bristol Royal Infirmary’s Stewart Cundy, Annette Giles and Paul Griffiths to learn about how the site is pedalling towards a sustainable future by trialling the bikes for medical supply deliveries before hopping on one of the clean, green bikes himself.
The Urban Freight Project is just one of a series of initiatives being tested out as part of the Combined Authority’s Future Transport Zone.
