Manchester City Council has announced a fleet of 26 e-cargo bikes and six trailers will be made available for businesses and community groups to hire, with an option for local residents across the city to rent the bikes.
The e-bikes, which can travel at speeds of up to 15mph, are able to carry a weight of 250kg allowing people to transport cargo, and help reduce reliance on motor vehicles.
The scheme was made possible after Manchester City Council successfully bid for a £173,000 grant from the Energy Savings Trust, supported by the Department for Transport.
Seven organisations, including the council, will be partners in this project so that a viable and well-used fleet of e-cycles can be established in the city. In the coming weeks bikes will be distributed to partners, with the central depot of bikes for hire opening in the first weeks of February.
This fleet will be the first wave in the council’s modal shift towards greener ways of transport, with the project looking to prove that heavy lifting doesn’t always have to require a car or small van.
Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “In Manchester we really want to show that there are alternatives to using cars and other polluting means of transport. We know that a complete societal shift is required in terms of how we view transport, and as a council we want to play our part in bringing about that change.
“By demonstrating that affordable and effective alternatives are available to the public we are breaking down barriers that may otherwise prevent someone making a positive change.”
For public use the bikes start at £12 per day for up to 14 days of usage, with checks made before their hire to make sure users have the appropriate level of cycling proficiency to ride. Businesses will be able to loan the bikes for longer periods of time allowing them to find out if e-cargo bikes would work for its business model.
Manchester Bikes has been tasked with the operation of the scheme. The bikes can be collected at a central depot in Chapel Street, close to the city centre, though plans are being explored on how best to roll out the service to communities and local hubs.
