Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Bradford Council have secured a grant from the UK Department for Transport and Energy Saving Trust (EST) to fund 32 new e-cargo bikes to the value of £160,000.
The EST’s £2m fund in England last year aims to help businesses and local authorities purchase cargo bikes in an effort to combat congestion and pollution in city centres.
Leeds City Council and Bradford Council adopted the e-cargo bike loan scheme in March 2021 and has since provided a number of local businesses the opportunity to trial the new delivery method.
Leeds University was the first organisation to adopt the scheme in Leeds and were loaned three e-cargo bikes, a trike and two long wheel base for quick, cheap, green deliveries.
The trial scheme is designed to enable organisations to experience how e-cargo bikes could provide a cost-effective alternative to cars and vans for heavy, bulky local deliveries.
Each bike allows for up to 40 miles assisted cycling and has a load capacity of up to 100kg or 900 litres.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said: “This offer to businesses to trial e-cargo bikes for local delivery solutions could be revolutionary.
“The additional 32 e-cargo bikes funded by the grant scheme will allow more businesses in West Yorkshire to ‘try-before-you-buy’.
“With so many employees continuing to work from home following the pandemic, investing in an e-cargo bike could be far more cost-effective for businesses who operate in and around the city centre without needing to pay for vehicle related costs and benefit from very little maintenance costs.”
Cllr Alex Ross Shaw, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, added: “E-cargo bikes are proof that deliveries can be carried out without the use of a van and are so much cheaper to run.
“So, we are delighted to have received this funding, as it will enable us to further develop the role of e-cargo bikes for local business.
“We will also be using some of the e-cargo bikes within our own fleet, for example, our outdoor education centres plan to use an e-cargo bike instead of a van to move equipment around for outdoor education sessions.
“The bikes have already been allocated to organisations in our district. However, some will be available via local organisations to be borrowed by other businesses locally.”
The council-funded scheme is part of a wider programme of initiatives being carried out to support active travel across the region, including permanent protected bike lane provision installation on key routes, new cycle parking facilities well as cycle training.
