International courier UPS are setting up a system which will use cargo bicycles for the final leg of deliveries in Dublin city centre.
UPS will be joining local couriers, restaurants, and a donut company in using cargo bicycles for business use around the city centre. The current businesses which use cargo bicyles include Offbeat Donut Co, Wheels Couriers, Cyclone couriers, and The Pig & Heifer Restaurant.
But there’s still a lot of potential in Dublin — Cyclelogistics, an EU-funded research programme, found that “On average, 51% of all motorised trips in European cities that involve the transport of goods could be shifted to bicycles or cargo bikes.”
A growing number of cargo bicycles for personal use can also be found on Dublin’s streets, mainly used by parents carrying children.
A spokeswoman for UPS confirmed that the setting up of a new delivery system using cargo bicycles is underway. The company is expected to reveal details of the project next month.
USP already use cargo bicycles / trikes in a number of cities around the world — different cities use different bicycles or a mix of bicycles:
Updated UPS cargo bike delivery story w exclusive images of the vehicle in action https://t.co/uWyESXEjcn pic.twitter.com/1rQ4gsrE2Q
— BikePortland (@BikePortland) December 7, 2016
.@UPS starts using #cargobikes in #Vienna. @CycleLogistics pic.twitter.com/eMfyoH5iTr
— Fahrrad Wien (@fahrradwien) November 22, 2016
UPS tests electric cargo bike in Switzerland | http://t.co/i3prcLQTZP | #logistics #sustainability pic.twitter.com/XT31IlM6wG
— Martijn Graat (@LogisticsMatter) July 8, 2015
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Good news. Hopefully other companies will also see the benefits and follow suit. And hopefully planners etc will finally start to see bikes as a valid mode of transport and not keep relegating it to an after-thought.
I was hoping this happens, It would have happened sooner If Dublin had a actual pedestrian only zone, not 3-4 small ones.. one street-ish zones where deliveries by trucks are still ok anyway.
Interesting project from DHL too: https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/702984006566625/