A zero-emission parcel delivery hub has been launched in Bristol by green logistics service Zedify.
The UK startup has received a £100,000 grant from Bristol City Council, which will be invested in a fleet of e-cargo bikes and trikes, as part of the One City Plan to have 95% of deliveries within the city centre made by EVs within 10 years.
The funding from Bristol City Council is part of Go Ultra Low West, a £7m transport project that will provide infrastructure for large-scale conversion to electric and ultra-low emission vehicles in the West of England.
Councillor Kye Dudd, cabinet member with responsibility for transport, said: “Removing polluting vehicles from our city centre is vital to help us tackle the issue of air quality in Bristol.
“We want to continue to reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles entering the city and encourage onward journeys to be done by zero-emission vehicles. This will help us improve air quality and contribute to our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
“Freight consolidation is a way of removing freight vehicles from our roads. It helps reduce the negative impacts associated with heavy traffic which are often experienced most by people living in areas of deprivation.”
The new depot will be centrally located and will allow HGVs and diesel vans bringing goods into Bristol to drop off their goods without entering the city centre, thereby helping to reduce congestion and air pollution.
Zedify’s model consolidates inbound packages with local deliveries, and each route is then completed on a cargo bike or trike carrying up to 100 packages or 200kg.
According to the UK Department for Transport and Energy Saving Trust, over 50% of all deliveries taking place in European cities have the potential to be made by cargo bike.
Zedify Bristol’s managing director, Simon Whitehead, said: “With online retail booming, having grown by around 70% in 2020, the logistics sector has been brought into the spotlight.
“Bristol businesses now have a truly ethical, sustainable and cost-effective option for sending and receiving packages.”
Zedify Bristol’s zero-emission depot is part of a national urban network, with nine other microconsolidation hubs across the UK.
