Scheme locations
Beryl currently run e-Cargo bike hire schemes in two areas of London.
Hackney
There are eight electrically assisted cargo bikes available to hire from four hubs across Hackney in London Fields, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch. They used two different types of ‘hub’:
Westminster
In the London borough of Westminster there are 4 e-Cargo bikes placed in 4 parking hubs which are spaces with Sheffield Stands adapted with signage.
Pricing
The bikes cost £1.50 to unlock, 10p per minute to ride and are available for businesses and the public to hire on a 24/7 basis. The locations of the Cargo Bike Share hubs were selected based on their proximity to areas with a high number of local businesses as well as a high percentage of residential footfall.
Type of cargo bikes
Raleigh Procargo bikes specially adapted for on-street bike share were selected. They can hold up to 80kg worth of load.
Partners
Beryl work in partnership with Hackney Council and Westminster Council to provide the service, both councils provide capital funding for the bikes and hubs and funding to cover the operational costs.
Summary of schemes
Ridership of the scheme has seen over 500 journeys over the past year with 208 unique users. Average ride time is just over an hour (71 minutes).
Lessons learnt
- There have been lower levels of vandalism than expected. After 14 months operation no instances of vandalism to the e-Cargo bikes have been seen. The only vandalism experienced is graffiti tagging of the Falco Cargo Bike Hubs.
- Visibility is key to driving ridership. Beryl initially prioritised the Falco Cargo Hubs to reduce a perceived vandalism risk. Although more secure, the e-Cargo bikes are less visible and this has led to reduced ridership at the three Falco Cargo Bike Hubs, 70% of all rides originate from the Beryl Active Mobility Hub.
- Simplicity is key. The Falco Hub requires the download of an additional app (Okey) to unlock the bluetooth lock and open the hub. This process can be convoluted and can create confusion for users (downloading and signing up to two apps). This has also contributed to the majority of the rides taking place at the Active Mobility Hub’.
- Based on the ridership from the Active Mobility Hub Beryl anticipate the scheme would have generated 1,400 journeys in the year, meaning the cargo bikes have a (theoretical) utilisation rate of 0.5 rides a day.
Use case
Tom Massey runs a Hackney-based carpentry business, specialising in the conservation of historic buildings, particularly timber. It's a business that requires mobility and flexibility as Tom must visit different sites with a variety of tools to carry out his skilled profession. Frustrated with the time taken to travel between sites in a van, Tom began using the Cargo Bike Share service last December. His tools, which include a hoover, chisels and various electrical components, are too heavy and bulky to carry on foot but they fit perfectly in the electric cargo bikes, which can carry up to 80kg. As well as the obvious environmental and health benefits associated with using the Cargo Bike Share service and the savings on fuel costs, the 43-year-old family man said that using the bikes had also given him some precious time back.
