Cargo Bike Use Up Dramatically in London

Cargo bikes are growing in popularity in London after the introduction of ‘Cycle Superhighways’ in 2015, reports Carlton Reid for Forbes.

The use of cargo bikes grew by 73 percent in London’s central square mile and by 63 percent across the city between 2022 and 2023 as more businesses shifted to delivery bikes to reduce carbon emissions and make deliveries cheaper and more efficient. A campaign called Clean Cargo Capital is calling on the city to do more to support the adoption of cargo bikes for deliveries. Unlike other European cities, London does not offer subsidies to businesses for switching to cargo bikes. “Clean Cargo Capital wants TfL to create a Bikes for Business project that can offer not just tailored cargo bike advice to businesses but also provide the sort of subsidies that are common in other European cities.”

According to Reid, “Transport for London (TfL) highlights that cargo bikes could replace nearly one in five vans in parts of London by 2030. Campaigners believe this target is too tame and are calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan to accelerate policies to favor cycling and cargo bike use.”