Wandsworth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Wandsworth launches borough-wide electric cargo bike rentals for residents and businesses, starting at £5 per hour, with a free first ride to encourage uptake.
With one hour free for new users or three hours free for businesses, the cargo bike rental program provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly substitute for quick car trips.
Cargo bikes are an affordable and environmentally friendly way to get around, whether you’re delivering, shopping, moving kids, or taking care of pets.
The program is a part of the Council’s pledge to make the borough carbon Net-Zero by 2043 and to encourage more people to engage in sport, leisure, and physical activity.
Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“We want to make it easier and cheaper for people to get around in cleaner, healthier ways. This scheme is part of our wider work to make active travel more accessible to everyone, whether you’re popping to the shops, getting the kids to school or running a small business.
Cargo bikes are incredibly versatile, and with a free first ride, we encourage more people to give them a try.”
Seven locations throughout the borough—Battersea, Furzedown, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Roehampton, Tooting, and Putney—rent cargo bikes, and more are on the way. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance, and you can use your phone to unlock and return a bike.
Alper Muduroglu, CEO of OurBike said:
“We’re seeing people across Wandsworth use OurBike for everything from the school run to customer deliveries, to the weekly shop. OurBike is a simple and affordable way to get around without needing a van, whether you’re a busy parent, a small business owner or just moving something bulky.
With over 74% of trips in the borough replacing car or van journeys, shared cargo bikes are fast becoming a practical part of everyday life — and it’s exciting to see this kind of travel becoming the new normal in Wandsworth!”
Locals can visit the Wandsworth cargo bike plan webpage to learn more, including where to get a cargo bike and how to rent one.
What are the benefits of using OurBike for local deliveries and shopping?
Faster and more dependable deliveries are made possible by cargo bikes’ ability to quickly navigate traffic bottlenecks, utilize bike lanes, and enter pedestrian areas or small streets that are closed to cars and trucks.
Due to cheaper fuel (electricity) costs, lower maintenance costs, no congestion or low emission zone fees, and simpler parking that saves time and penalties, cargo bikes are more cost-effective to operate than typical delivery trucks.
Because electric cargo bikes have no tailpipe emissions, they contribute to cleaner, healthier urban environments by lowering air pollution, noise pollution, and the carbon footprint of delivery.
When cargo bikes are used in place of vans, fewer cars are on the road, which reduces traffic and enhances flow in crowded cities.