Sheffield businesses can rethink their delivery vehicles, says Russell Cutts, especially if they’re taking up employees’ time to drive parcels or small packages around the city. “I’d ask people to think again about ‘human powered deliveries’” he says. “Not just for health and environmental reasons, but because they save time and money.”

“There’s no petrol or van insurance, no tax, there are no parking fees or parking fines, and your deliveries are door to door,” he says. “Some organisations could quite easily convert from using a van to using a cargo bicycle.”

For example, over recent months, Russell, from the Russell’s Bicycle Shed cycling company based at the station and Neepsend, has been transporting Covid 19 PCR test swabs from a Sheffield clinic to labs in London thanks to a link with the Intercity Railfreight company, who offer same day delivery of small items via passenger trains.

Sheffield City Council say business to business deliveries by e-cargo bike are one of the final pieces in the jigsaw to help Sheffield become a city where over 20% of trips could be made by bike, and the 30 or more organisations already using e-cargo bikes are “flying a banner for the city.” Shifting some smaller deliveries to e-bike would cut congestion, improve air quality and set a great example to other organisations, they say.

The new business-to-business e-bike courier service is supported by Sheffield Council and interested organisations can make contact at: https://www.russellsbicycleshed.co.uk/deliveries or 07557 410553