Highland Council's e-cargo bike project gets started
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Electric cargo bikes were tested out in Inverness as part of a pilot scheme aimed at reducing carbon emissions from Highland Council's transport needs.
Two trial sessions for the local authority's new e-cargo bike pilot scheme took place, one in the Highland capital and one in Fort William.
The council's local amenities team, Inverness roads team and Fort William child health team are taking part in the project and will use the bikes for business.
The drop-in trial sessions are open to all council employees and are supported by Sustrans, who provide the e-cargo bikes and will provide guidance on how to use them.
The project is part of the council’s approach to fleet decarbonisation. The pilot aims to trial the use of e-cargo bikes across a range of services and offers opportunities to reduce transport carbon emissions and costs, as well as providing health and well-being benefits for employees.
Cllr Karl Rosie, chairman of the climate change committee, said: “It is so encouraging to see the first trials taking place in Inverness and Fort William.
“This is an extremely exciting pilot, one which supports our wider net zero agenda and promotes low-carbon, active travel within our communities and the wider region.”
The project has been supported by funding from the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland's cargo bike project and delivered in partnership with Highland Council.
Beth Woodall, cargo bike senior project officer at Sustrans, said: “Cargo bikes have a critical role to play in delivering greener, more liveable cities and towns. They’re ideal for a wide range of scenarios, such as transporting children to school, going to the supermarket and supporting with business operations.”
