What do comes to mind with the phrase “lobby group”? A suited and serious bunch, sitting at a round table discussing things like fiscal policy and strategic planning? Well, the Cycle Logistics Federation is working on turning the typical image of the lobby group on its head; and bringing with it hot topics like sustainable transport and environmental conservation, and the capacity of generating new business, and making our roads safer.

No, you’re not imagining it, with Warsaw holding a rate of 42% congestion, Marsaille 41% and Brussels 34%, European cities are becoming increasingly jammed. more and more trucks and megatrucks clamor for space on our roads, three things are set in motion: traffic is quickly grinding to a halt, levels of noise and pollution are rising, and the level of safety for pedestrians and cyclists is decreasing.

Think the presence of trucks is an isolated problem, present in only a few particular cities? In Breda, the Netherlands, a country infamous for its advanced cycling policies, studies have found that of the 1900 trucks that travel each day, less than 10% of the cargo being delivered actually requires a truck and 40% of deliveries carry just one box.

 Insisting on the need to change these current methods of transportation, over 30 organizations from around Europe have joined forces to create the Cycle Logistics Federation; a lobby group that puts the cargobike at centre stage, and not only attempts to change the way we think of transportation and delivery, but also, to help us change and improve the ways in which we go about it.

The CLF sets out to do this by promoting a mode of delivery that takes us back to the time before trucks became the go-to method for delivering anything from a sofa to overseas mail.  With a firm belief in the positive consequences of putting more cargobikes on the road and reducing truck traffic, the Cycle Logistics Federation met up in Cambridge, UK over the weekend to discuss how to make this a reality for many European cities, and at the same time, make our cities safer.

Focusing on issues such as alleviating congestion in urban areas, freeing up more space for pedestrians,  and of course, making cities safer and more accessible, the CLF is surely working its way towards grabbing the attention of policy makers, industry, and citizens alike, to think less about trucks, and more about bikes. Driving this point home, the Environmental Transport Association makes a compelling point, about why this shift is necessary:

"One in five fatal road collisions involves a heavy goods vehicle and these mega trucks are like articulated lorries on steroids – they are simply too big, too heavy and too dangerous in many situations," says Andrew Davis, Director of the ETA.

So how can cargobikes work to achieve this, exactly? Ever seen one of those bicycles with what looks like a box glued or stapled to the front of it? Well, that thing, peculiar as it may look, can also lug some serious weight around town – so much so, that they can give trucks some very real competition.

Cheap to fuel and easy to use, the average cargobike, like the ones used last weekend at the founding event for the Cycle Logistics Federation, can carry upwards of 250kg. Aside from their impressive durability, delivery by cargobike is also service that you can count on.

“Today we’re moving 3000 consignments per day for just one of our clients in London. We very rarely fail a delivery. We’re on time 99.99% of the time. We’re profitable, we’re successful. It’s going the right way,” says Matthew Linnecar CEO at the London-based delivery company GNEWT.

Given all the benefits, it seems like the cargobike lobby is becoming less and less a niche issue, and drawing the attention of many, including the London Times and EurActiv. Reducing travel costs and time for deliveries, decongesting and greening up our streets, and drastically improving the safety of our streets, it’s hard to find serious fault with a delivery system such as this.

 Promoting  fast, safe, reliable and environmentally-friendly delivery, the Cycle Logistics Federation is already doing great things to put more cargobikes on the road – and as an added bonus, this creative, innovative and charismatic bunch certainly won’t put you to sleep in the process.

For more information on the  many great uses of cargobikes, make sure to check out our Cycle Logistics Fact Sheet. 

About the Author

Alexandra Cutean is the Communications Assistant at ECF and a long-time cyclist. With a background in conflict resolution and European Affairs, she spends most of her spare time looking for new places to visit, and mapping out bike routes.