14 local authorities to receive eCargo bike funding

Energy Saving Trust and the Department for Transport have revealed the 14 successful local authorities that have secured funding from the £1.2 million eCargo Bike Grant Fund 2021 local authority scheme.

The aim of the 2021/22 scheme has been to encourage the large-scale uptake of electric cargo (eCargo) bikes to support sustainable active business travel and to provide opportunities to trial eCargo bikes, while promoting their benefits within the business sector.

This follows the success of the eCargo Bike Grant Fund Local Authority Scheme 2019/20, in which local authorities in England were invited to bid for grant funding to procure eCargo bikes for their area. Funding was previously awarded to the top 18 local authority applicants assessed on a point-based system. The next 14 top-scoring local authorities were funded in 2021/22.

Those successful applications awarded in 2021 offered a broad range of initiatives.

Coventry City Council, for example, plans to introduce a project called the City of eCargo Culture, which will demonstrate to a large audience how the bikes are a viable last mile solution in the compact city centre environment.

Salford City Council aims to offer a ‘try before you buy’ scheme for local businesses, where they can trial a range of eCargo bikes by making use of a bike library.

Tim Anderson, head of transport, Energy Saving Trust, said: “We are inspired by the quality and innovation of those local authority applications to the eCargo Bike Grant Fund local authority scheme 2021. eCargo bikes are an attractive low carbon transport option and offer impressive fuel cost savings, while contributing to improved local air quality. We hope this funding will encourage local authorities to benefit from an eCargo bike culture as we look to the future and continue to drive the transport agenda.”