Council subsidises electric cargo bikes for local businesses

Dublin City Council is expanding its support for electric cargo bikes after a successful pilot scheme for business. The council’s Bikes for Business scheme allows local companies to trial a cargo bike for a year, with the council picking up 60 per cent of the rental cost. The local authority will also cover the full costs of loaned cargo bikes for non-profit groups for a year. In addition, it will provide a number of new community cargo bikes that can be hired for free by the public.

The pilot scheme saw 22 businesses clocking up 34,691km on cargo bikes since September 2021, with the council saying it avoided around 4,372 kilograms in carbon-dioxide emissions when compared with using a small commercial van. Four in 10 of the trial businesses are now using cargo bikes on a permanent basis.

Jennifer McGrath, senior executive engineer at Dublin City Council’s micromobility unit, acknowledged cost was a barrier for many people in trying cargo bikes “which is why we’re making these cargo bikes available to try for free to non-profit organisations and the general public”.

Dublin City Council is now accepting applications from businesses and non-profits who wish to trial cargo bikes. All of the information and the application form can be found on www.dublincity.ie or www.bleeperactive.com

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The community cargo bike is available to hire from the Bike Hub in Eamonn Ceannt Park, Crumlin, with bookings to be made via the website www.thebikehub.ie