Southampton City Council has partnered with Eastleigh Borough Council to trial a service that allows local organisations to hire an e-cargo bike for free to establish whether they can provide a practical alternative for urban deliveries.
The RIDES (Realising Innovative Deliveries in Southampton and Eastleigh) trial will see a fleet of e-cargo bikes made available to businesses and educational, charitable, community and voluntary sector organisations.
The project aims to support more local organisations to adopt a greener alternative to conventional deliveries and lead to reduced congestion and improved air quality.
RIDES has a fleet of five Tern GSD S00 e-bikes and five Urban Arrow flatbed e-bikes. The e-cargo bikes are equipped with lockable boxes capable of carrying up to 100kg, enabling the transportation of multiple goods in and around the city.
Businesses and organisations looking to trial a RIDES e-cargo bike must be in the Southampton or Eastleigh local authority areas. Trials can cover a weekend event or for a longer period of up to three months.
Any staff or volunteers wishing to use the bike will have to take part in a short training session about operating the bikes and loading them correctly. Training is provided free of charge.
Zedify Southampton has been appointed as the service provider responsible for maintaining the bikes and managing the scheme.
Funding of £50,000 has been provided by the UK government’s eCargo Bike Grant Fund, following a successful funding bid in partnership with The Hub Cycleworks and Monty’s Bike Hub, supported by Zedify Southampton.
The Department for Transport funding, which was administered by the Energy Saving Trust, is designed to help organisations foster a more sustainable approach to operational practices.
