If you wish you had access to an e-cargo bike but can’t quite justify the cost of buying one, you may be in luck. Raleigh e-cargo bikes are now available through a share scheme in Hackney. Perhaps this is the shape of things to come?
Earlier this year we reported on Cargoroo – a Dutch e-cargo bike share scheme. At the time it seemed like yet another of those utopian cycling things that can only exist in the Netherlands… but apparently not.
> 5 of the best e-cargo bikes for under £3,000
The Cargo Bike Share scheme is funded by the Mayor of London and the Zero Emissions Network, which spans Tower Hamlets, Islington and Hackney.
Eight bikes are available to rent from four docking stations: Calvert Avenue and Pitfield Street in Shoreditch; Broadway Market in London Fields; and Fleetwood Street in Stoke Newington.
Each station has two e-cargo bikes which are capable of carrying up to 80kg each. They’re available to be used for shopping, deliveries, and moving small items of furniture and they can be booked through the Beryl app.
> 5 top tips for going car-free
“Our residents and businesses are passionate about doing all they can to help improve air quality – and we’re launching this scheme to provide easy-to-access e-cargo bikes for shopping and carrying goods,” commented Councillor Mete Coban MBE, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm.
“Cargo Bike Share is a nationwide first and is one of the many ways we’re working to rebuild a greener Hackney in the aftermath of the pandemic – with cleaner air, healthier lives and better neighbourhoods for all of our residents and businesses.”
> 9 of the best electric cargo bikes
Beryl chief executive Philip Ellis added: “For last mile deliveries or short journeys, e-cargo bikes are by far the best and often the most time efficient way to move large or heavy items. By replacing vans, a network of e-cargo bikes has the potential to transform local areas making them safer and more pleasant to live and work in, due to the reduction in CO2 emissions, noise pollution and stationary motor vehicles that take up valuable space on our streets.
“We are really excited to be partnering with Hackney Council to launch this UK-first trial, which we believe will have a lasting positive impact on the community and widen access to e-cargo bikes.
‘’Beryl has always strived to be a micro-mobility pioneer that offers the broadest options in an affordable and accessible way. We believe this e-cargo bike trial has the potential to show what is possible in many urban areas across the UK, as businesses and residents explore more sustainable transport options.’’
