FOCUS SUSTAINABILITY
made by a bicycle. They’ve pioneered the
use of electric assist cargo bikes to transport
upwards of 150kg of goods. Third party
cycle logistics firm PedalMe has moved
entire o ices for organisations. But it is in
construction where real progress has
been made.
In trials with Crossrail
managed by TfL
and reported by
the Considerate
Contractors
Scheme,
PedalMe
ferried
loads from
a builder’s
merchant in
Wood Green,
North London to
deliver to a Crossrail
site at Whitechapel.
Normally a van doing this
would cover 33km – that’s around
330 kilos of CO and take about 76 minutes.
The bike was half an hour faster. The trial
was deemed a success. Other similar
examples have been carried out and cycling
logistics is becoming a major theme in how
major projects move materials. Can this be
38 JULY 2020
translated into FM?
Dr David Land at Just Ride the Bike says
yes, “The tra ic management changes
implemented to aid social distancing are
fast tracking measures councils have long
sought the budget and time to
deliver. They are all about
restricting the access of
vehicles into central
business districts.
So, if there was a
time to consider
a di erent
operating
model for FM
logistics then it
is now. E-cargo
bikes definitely
o er a viable
option – but they
need to be tested.”
Just Ride the Bike
is advocating research
to establish a business case for
switching all, or part of the white van based
mobile service engineers onto bikes.
Simon King, Director of Sustainability
and Social Value at Mitie says, “I get the
proposition, and e-cargo bikes can play
a part in moving to a low or zero carbon
FM o er. But there’s a long way to go before
we can turn this into reality. The whole
operational model needs to be assessed as
typically operatives will carry anything from
engineering tools to a water bowser.”
That means setting up a hub type operation
– not dissimilar to that of last mile delivery
companies, but probably more complex. This is
where FM operations move into complex fleet
management models.
King continues, “The stem, or the route taken
from home to the first job, is one obstacle.
Then there is the type of vehicle used and the
load capacity of the bicycle. Yes, there are
varieties of bikes available from two wheeled
to four, but there is a lot of research to be done
to see what we can do and what the bikes are
capable of.”
Right now, Mitie is committed to switching
its entire fleet of vehicles from internal
combustion engines (ICE) to electric. They
have around 5,500 cars and vans and have
committed to move to EV by 2025, so that
on its own is big carbon reduction. But can a
switch to e-cargo bikes go further?
Richard Armitage of the UK Cycle Logistics
Federation (UKCLF) says, “We know exactly
what e-cargo bikes are capable of. They
regularly move loads of up to 250 kilos in
London and in major cities such as Amsterdam
and Copenhagen. Business Improvement
Districts (BIDs) in London have researched
the role of e-cargo and bikes and the London
Bridge BID hired MP Smarter Travel to run its
bikes for business programme – so clients are
driving this too.
“With the right contract, the right client,
and the right mindset there is every reason
to believe that bikes can provide logistical
support that’s not just beating ICE and EVs
in terms of CO emissions and wellbeing but
is financially viable too. Right now, and they
have a point, FM service providers have to
balance consistency of service, sustainability,
and ethical goals against what’s commercially
feasible. E-cargo bike manufacturers and trade
bodies such as UKCLF, the European Cycle
Logistics Federation and Cycling Industries
Europe are assembling a strong business case
for their emerging sector.”
Dr Dave Land agrees: “Cities and major urban
spaces of all kinds will make it harder and
harder for any organisation to drive vehicles in
central areas. That includes electric vehicles.
Therefore, to be sustainable every business
reliant on a van needs to rethink their business
model. So, if FMs want to achieve long term
sustainability for themselves and o er it to
their clients it makes sense to get on board the
bike revolution, now.”
“With the right contract, the
right client, and the right mindset
there is every reason to believe that
bikes can provide logistical support
that’s not just beating ICE and EVs
in terms of CO2 emissions and
wellbeing but is fi nancially
viable too.”
UKCLF - http://ukclf.org/
ECLF - http://eclf.bike/
CIE - https://cyclingindustries.com/
City Changer Cargo Bikes - http://cyclelogistics.eu/
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