West of England Combined Authority invests £920,000 in e-cargo bike trial scheme
A new e-cargo bikes trial scheme, delivering medical supplies to the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), is being launched.
The trail, run by West of England Combined Authority, who have invested £920,000 in using e-cargo bikes, sees them run as direct replacements for vans, utilising GPS based data to analyse the impact the e-cargo bikes have compared to the vans they replace for urban journeys.
The event, reported on by the BBC, highlights that, starting in June, a 12 month long trial will run. West of England Combined Authority Future Transport Zone, 1 of 3 FTZ receiving a collective £90 million in funding from central government, will seek to deliver substantial and sustainable transport change, as outlined in the FTZ guidance:
“The zones will provide real-world testing for experts, allowing them to work with a range of local bodies such as councils, hospitals, airports and universities to test innovative ways to transport people and goods.”
Of the FTZ, SoS for Transport Grant Shapps, comments: “We are on the cusp of a transport revolution. Emerging technologies are changing the way people and goods move. Our ground-breaking future of transport programme marks the biggest review of transport laws in a generation, and will pave the way for exciting new transport technology to be tested.”
“Funding these new zones across the country will also help us safely test innovative ways to get around, creating a greener future transport system for us all.”
In 2021 Oxford based cargo bike delivery firm Pedal and Post revealed that it has halved delivery times, compared to vans, of critical, temperature controlled, medical goods for its local healthcare service.
