Cargo bikes are transforming urban logistics in Europe, offering a sustainable alternative to delivery vans.

The surge in online shopping, accelerated by COVID-19, has driven up the demand for package deliveries, and that demand continues to rise.

As traditional delivery methods contribute to urban traffic congestion and pollution, cargo bikes - a staple of bike-friendly countries like Denmark and the Netherlands - are becoming a common sight in cities across Europe as a sustainable and efficient alternative to vans.

These larger, typically electric bikes with separate carriers can transport a wide range of loads, from small parcels to larger items, making them ideal for urban deliveries.

In Europe, it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of motorised trips involving the transport of goods in cities could be made by cargo bikes and bicycles, according to a recent study.

    • Pliny the Woo@mastodon.nz
      3·
      4 hours ago

      @14th_cylon @SteveKLord “A study from the University of Westminster, London, found that cargo bikes not only deliver faster than vans but also cut emissions by 90 per cent compared to diesel vans and when compared to electric vans reduce emissions by a third. “

    • Che Banana@beehaw.orgEnglish
      4·
      6 hours ago

      Ridiculousness.

      I’ve used a cargo bike for my 60+ seat restaurant for over 5 years and I zip past all the idiots sitting traffic baking away in 30° August as our town goes from 70k to 350k with the traffic that comes with it.

      Absolutely absurd that you’re hot take is something other than troll bait.

    • GissaMittJobb@lemmy.mlEnglish
      112·
      5 hours ago

      Are you suffering from an acute case of brain damage?

      so, we take something that has the same size as a van,

      The footprint of a cargo bike is at most a fourth of your average delivery van

      and is at least 10 times slower

      Cargo bikes are usually e-bikes, giving them a speed of at least 25 km/h. If you’re driving a van at 250 km/h in a city, that’s going to put you behind bars.

      Baffling levels of ignorance.

    • Sas [she/her]@beehaw.orgEnglish
      4·
      10 hours ago

      I was so confused with your comment until i remembered there are countries without bike lanes. Still weird to claim them the same size as a van

      • 14th_cylon@lemm.eeEnglish
        18·
        10 hours ago

        this monstrosity, that can fit one backpack and bag of groceries into its cargohold, doesn’t fit in any bike lane, unless that bike lane is as wide as the one for cars. so it needs space in the car lane and is maybe slightly shorter, but that’s not really significant difference.

        also do you imagine all bike lanes full of these? yeah, that would solve the congestion problem for sure ;)

        • Sas [she/her]@beehaw.orgEnglish
          8·
          7 hours ago

          You post a picture of a bike that’s as wide as its handlebar, which is not wider than a regular bike which also has to have enough space to fit its handlebars through and claim it is too wide for a bike lane. Also visible on this picture is a backpack, a grocery bag and a lot of empty space in the cargo-hold and claim it only has space for the backpack and a grocery bag. I feel it is not worth it to argue with you at all since you don’t seem to argue in good faith. Disappointing

        • VonRepostiEnglish
          121·
          9 hours ago

          Are you high? I live in Denmark, a country that has a high amount of bikes, and I see tons of those cargo bikes on the bike lanes each day. Parents bringing their kids to daycare, postal workers bringing letters and parcels, landlords bringing all their tools between apartment complexes around the city. Possibilities are endless.