Cargo bikes in action

Cycling is going through a revival in many cities around the world, while at the same time there is an increase in the circulation of large delivery vehicles due to the popularity of online shopping. In this story we look at examples of how cargo-bikes have been applied to urban logistics as well as other commercial activities.

Package delivery

Package delivery is probably one of the most popular use of cargo bikes in a commercial setting. It is being explored across the globe, both by the big logistic companies as well as for smaller specialized deliveries.

Three major package delivery companies, UPS, Amazon, and DHL, will be permitted to use cargo bikes for deliveries in lower Manhattan, as announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio. This initiative aims to reduce traffic congestion in response to the growing volume of packages being delivered daily (1.5 million) on the island. The Department of Transportation Commissioner, Polly Trottenberg, hopes to implement these cargo bike deliveries during the holiday season. The companies were selected due to their high delivery volumes.

A new central Berlin depot, serving approximately 800,000 residents within a 5km radius, is facilitating last-mile package deliveries through a pilot project called ‘KoMoDo’. Multiple logistics operators are collaborating under one roof, with BEHALA providing overall management. Packages are delivered to the hub by trucks and then distributed via cargo bikes in busy city streets. Previously, Berlin tested other initiatives such as the BentoBox pilot which focused on business-to-business last-mile deliveries by cargo bike.

In Glasgow, SoulRiders, a community-based cycling organization, plans to deploy an initial fleet of five e-cargo bikes through their Revolutionise service for delivering essential food items to vulnerable areas of the city. The project aims to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion associated with traditional delivery methods.

The map below provides more examples from across the globe where cargo bikes have been applied to package delivery.

Food vending and delivery

Cargo-bikes are applied both for food deliveries as well as movable points of sale for pastries, pizzas and ice-cream.

In Seattle, a unique street food trend is emerging with the advent of cargo-bike services. Bikelava, for instance, offers traditional Greek Baklava delivered via bicycle. According to its founder, these mobile eateries cater to an average of 200 customers daily.

In Mumbai’s Carter Road, Bandra, Sanjay Sharma operates a cargo tricycle selling ice creams nightly from 9pm to 3am, catering to local tourists and evening walkers. His service is one of several examples of growing cargo-bike street food services in the city, providing an eco-friendly, efficient alternative for both vendors and consumers.

In Flagstaff, Arizona, Fratelli Pizza has integrated a Thrust electric cargo bike into its delivery vehicle fleet, aiming to reduce emissions and increase efficiency for food deliveries. This move aligns with the city’s sustainability goals, as more businesses explore eco-friendly alternatives for transportation.

The maps below give more examples of how cargo bikes have been applied, respectively, to street food vending and food deliveries.

Taxis

Cargo-bikes are popular in Denmark and The Netherlands where parents use them to ride their children to school, but cargo-bikes are also applied in a commercial setting as taxis.

TXITA Txirrindak, a Donostia-San Sebastian-based cycle logistics company established in 2006, aims to enhance urban sustainability and quality of life through eco-friendly transport. They have been promoting cargo-bike taxi services, serving as a model for other cities.

In Kigali, Rwanda, cargo bikes serve dual purposes: transportation of goods and employment generation. These eco-friendly vehicles contribute significantly to the city’s logistics, while creating job opportunities for approximately 3,000 young men who operate as bicycle taxi drivers.

The map below shows more examples from across the globe of how cargo bikes have been applied as taxis.

Waste collection

Various cities in Europe and Africa use cargo bikes for waste collection.

In Lagos, Nigeria, a social enterprise named Wecyclers, founded by Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola with an MBA from MIT, utilizes low-cost cargo bicycles to collect recyclable waste from homes and businesses weekly. This initiative improves both sanitation and income opportunities in low-income neighborhoods where municipal governments only collect 40% of city garbage. Notably, Wecyclers was this year’s Sustainia Award winner for its innovative use of cargo bikes to combat pollution and poverty.

In Oslo, a small business named Gruten, started in 2014, collects coffee waste from local cafés using an e-cargo bike. By switching to cargo bikes, they’ve reduced their carbon emissions by approximately 68 tonnes per year compared to trucks, contributing significantly towards the city’s sustainability efforts.

The map below shows more examples of how cargo bikes have been applied to waste collection across the globe.

Other

In addition to transporting packages, food, people and waste, other use of cargo bikes include road-side assistance and delivering construction material.

FM Conway is trialling e-Cargo bikes for construction deliveries in London’s capital as part of an initiative to reduce carbon emissions and vehicle traffic. The bikes, used in phase two of the Illuminated River project by Westminster Council, can carry various sizes and weights of construction materials. Another company, Raleigh, is also testing an electric cargo Trike to explore their potential use within infrastructure businesses primarily in London.

In São Paulo, insurance company Porto Seguro offers two services for cyclists: Bike Socorro and Bike Vistoria. The former provides roadside assistance for breakdowns, while the latter visits customers at their homes. The company operates a fleet of 50 cargo-bikes in the city, handling simple repairs such as tyre replacements on-site.

The map below shows an extensive set of examples where cargo bikes have been put into action in various parts of the world.