The urban economy is growing! In addition to increases in the supply of goods and raw materials for private businesses and the provision of municipal services such as waste disposal, Berlin is also experiencing a rapid rise in the number of logistic services delivering parcels to private households. The latter is largely due to the steady growth of online shopping (e-commerce) and this volume is not predicted to stagnate in the future, since time-critical goods, such as food, can now be ordered online and delivered on the same day. Today, logistical traffic is already responsible for a substantial amount of CO2 emissions: in the inner-city, truck traffic in particular contributes significantly to air and noise pollution. In addition, the use of transport infrastructure for loading and unloading leads to conflict: The double-parking of delivery vehicles disrupts active traffic, and accidents between trucks, cyclists and pedestrians are often fatal.
To make logistical traffic more environmentally compatible and efficient, we need viable solutions. There is great potential for making the last leg of inner-city delivery and collection services more sustainable and efficient by employing cargo/transport bikes. According to a study conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), 23% of logistical journeys in Germany could be transferred to transport bicycles (1).
According to a further study by the Cyclelogistics project, which is sponsored by the European Union, 51% of all motorized freight transport (private or commercial) up to 200 kg and with a volume of up to one cubic meter can be transported within a radius of seven kilometers using bicycles and transport bicycles (2).
This is especially interesting in relation to the trend for smaller consignments. By changing from conventional transport chains (direct delivery from producer to customer), more small packages will be consolidated in the future (3).
A transport bike makes sense for delivery traffic and mobile services (e.g. plumbers and electricians), but also for private households. In Copenhagen, for example, some 40,000 transport bicycles (68 per 1,000 inhabitants) travel through the city. This not only benefits the urban transport system and the environment, but also every person and company involved. Transport bikes not only cost less to purchase than a car, their ongoing monthly costs are also substantially lower (€351 vs. €58) (4). They are also a great way to save time: by directly selecting a route and eliminating the search for a parking space, goods and services can be delivered faster and more cost-effectively. As an added benefit, environmentally friendly transport will also improve the service provider’s image.