A fleet of new E-cargobikes is being rolled out across Dublin in a bid to help businesses conduct trade without vehicles. It is hoped the new scheme, which is being run on a pilot basis by Dublin City Council, will held reduce congestion and emissions.
The first stage of the pilot is restricted to businesses with premises in the Dublin City Council area. However, even if businesses do not meet that criteria the council is still asking them to complete the online application form to register their interest.
The project is underway several weeks already and the first businesses to sign up have begun using the e-cargobikes. They have been made available by the council and Bleeper bike rentals to the companies free of charge, though a registration fee of €100 per month must be paid at present.
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Among the companies already using the bikes are: Camerino Bakery on Merrion Sq, Small Changes of Drumcondra and Inchicore, Relay Express Logistics in Dublin city, Charlies Asian restaurant chain, Tom Phillips & Associates Town Planning Consultants on Harcourt St, Life Pharmacy in Ballsbridge.
Each business can also get their bike customised with decals of their business name, logo and contact details.
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At the end of each month the council will provide the participating businesses with a report about how they used the bike during the month and the reduction in emissions they achieved during that period.
A similar six-month pilot project being run Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, with the support of Bleeper, is now nearing an end, with 18 companies having trialed the e-cargobikes since May.
The aim of the projects is to show more businesses that they can operate by switching from vehicles to a e-cargobikes for deliveries and transport. At least 20 businesses will take part in the Dublin City Council six-month pilot project already underway, though more may be added in time.
Dublin City Council said it wanted to "normalise cargobikes as an everyday mode of transport in Dublin, both for businesses and individuals".
It says using the e-cargobikes will be faster in Dublin traffic than using cars or vans and that finding parking for the bikes will be much easier than for vehicles. The council also points out younger employees who are not yet old enough to drive or who have not yet gained their drivers' licence, can bypass those issues by using the e-cargobikes.
You can get more information and companies can register their interest in the Dublin City Council scheme by following this link.
