BRILLIANT BIKES

Talking to Michael Barratt MBE about the BITA members involved in the Constructors Cycle Experience

Cargo bikes have been around since the Industrial Revolution. In 1856, mass production dramatically reduced the price of steel, which, along with the invention of the pneumatic tyre in 1888, helped kickstart the bicycle revolution and the birth of the first cargo bikes.

The Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy 2018 sets out a vision for a healthier, greener, and more prosperous city. The strategy makes clear that a new type of thinking is required to increase active, efficient, and sustainable travel to help achieve this vision for London.

Cycling is central to attaining a healthier lifestyle and has the bonus of being ‘almost’ emission free. Many companies within London are now utilising the benefits from cycling within their business and some are having their goods delivered by cargo bike. This opens a big opportunity for the construction industry to get involved. The benefits of using a cargo bike can help reduce traffic congestion, conflicts with vulnerable road users, bus delay, impacts on health and the environment, fuel costs, driver time and help local economies.

BITA on Santander Hire cycles

To date, over 50 BITA members have taken part in a ‘Constructors Cycle Experience.’ For many, the invitation to get on a Santander hire bike and riding the streets of London is met with a response of ‘you won’t get me on a bloody bike’. However, after gentle persuasion many succumb and afterwards tell me that they enjoyed themselves and even that they are considering taking up cycling. One fine example was when Mr. Noel Byrne, Director at Ardentide, was enticed into the saddle. Some members will also say they’ve been ‘nudged’ into trying out cargo bikes within their business.

BITA using cargo bikes

After attending a cycle experience, a discussion took place with Colleen and James McCoy exploring the benefits of sustainable transport the possibility of trialling a cargo bike to deliver their innovative bench instead of by van. “You can’t deliver this kind of kit by bike” replied Mr. McCoy.

Colleen and James McCoy from J G McCoy Engineering

After a detailed explanation, both were up for the challenge and a couple of weeks later they were delivering to the Crossrail joint venture by bike – the first company to do so as far as I’m aware!

PedalMe’s Urban Arrow cargo bikes have electric assist and the capability to pull a trailer: the method used for the McCoy delivery. The trial was deemed a triumph and all involved were very pleased with the outcome. Since then, Colleen arranges cargo bike deliveries where she can as part of her business. “It was more a case of not knowing about cargo cycle couriers rather than fearing it.” Says Colleen; “An easy online account helps organise bookings, which coincides with construction site organising delivery slots. The first time we used the method, the thought of damage during transit did cross our minds. However, the rider strapped it down in all the right places and the parcels arrived safely.

It was surprising the amount of space on the cargo bike as well as the aspect of delivering a couple of flat pack work bench’s, FAB Bench 700, to site within an hour. That’s fast in London traffic! The photographs of site delivery are a great way of confirming arrival of packages as well as for social media posts.”

Many others have been involved and with great success too. Speedy Hire have made over 80 deliveries by cargo bike to a variety of sites across London including Tideway and HS2.

Matt Seaman, Speedy Business Development Director, explains; “At Speedy, environment is very important, and this delivery service helps us to reduce our carbon impact and improve air quality for Londoners. This service in the future will be absolutely vital for transporting equipment around London to our customer projects in London due to the increasing drive to increase air quality, restrict vehicle movement and pedestrianise key areas of the City.”

O’Neil and Brennan are the logistics contractor for the Britannia project in Hackney. We (TfL, Hackney Council, Morgan Sindall and O&B) collaborated to set up an exemplar logistics model that included cargo bike deliveries to site. There is a dedicated and signed cargo bike loading area, regular deliveries by bike and traffic marshals have been trained on how to manage the bikes on arrival.

According to Barry Mitchell, Operations Manager at O’Neil and Brennan, the benefits of using bikes have included “the speed/efficiency of delivery, avoiding wait times in heavy traffic, Co2 emission savings, and avoiding having to go through a busy booking delivery management system. We also speed productivity for other trades by not taking up loading bay slots. The only thing to note is the additional cost, as orders usually come with free delivery. This will be factored in on future project delivery costs, so we can utilise the service more.”

Other companies that have been willing engage with the experience days include Seamus Keenan, CEO of Keenwood and Jon Overman, MD at HSS, who have both tried out a cargo bike. I met with them recently, and they both have interest in progressing with the bikes.

“After Michael supplied a demo on balance, brakes, steering and gears it was time to try it out.” Says Seamus; “It was really strange to handle! Very sensitive, easy to oversteer and like cycling with two shopping trolleys in front. But after a couple of figures of 8s I was ready to go. It was great craic and definitely look forward to trialling at work.”

Following a successful day at the Olympic Park, Jon said that “HSS Hire are always looking for innovation and the use of Cargo bikes are definitely one we see huge value in. Working with Michael and his team we have brought this to life with a ride on a cargo bike at the Olympic Park and using his experience we are in the process of procuring our first bike to be used in one of our central London stores.”

When considering climate change, air quality, vision zero and an already constrained road network that is changing to accommodate sustainable modes, companies should be seriously considering cargo bikes as a practical option.

Encouraging use

My team and I have drafted a ‘Cargo Bikes in Construction Guidance’ document which will hopefully be published later this year. Until then, we have a detailed presentation on the topic which can be supplied on request and there is also a ‘Cargo Bikes in Construction’ working group where all interested parties can find out more on the dynamics of cargo bike logistics.