The Dutch Post Office, PostNL, have begin systematically testing last-mile delivery vehicles. Naturally this includes cargo bikes, but they are also trying out Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs), such as the Stint. I met Nanette Wielenga, Bicycle Network Project Manager for PostNL, to find out more. We met at a depot on the western edge of Amsterdam at around 6pm and discussed the project as PostNL delivery riders, known Stadsbezorgers, returned from their evening rounds on various bikes, trikes and LEVs. Continue reading “RIPPL #39: PostNL – 60 vans for 60 bikes, trikes or LEVS”
Tag: Europe
RIPPL #38: Marleen Kookt – Meals on Two Wheels
Marleen Kookt is an Amsterdam-based meal delivery business founded in 2012 by Marleen Jansen and Joris Keijzer. Following a 6 month sabbatical spent in Majorca, during which Marleen experimented with various recipe ideas, they returned to Amsterdam. Finding that they did not want to return to their office jobs (both have backgrounds in large-scale retail) they started Marleen Kookt (Dutch for ‘Marleen Cooks’). Continue reading “RIPPL #38: Marleen Kookt – Meals on Two Wheels”
RIPPL #37: Vert Chez Vous – Lessons from a Parisian Boat-Bike Initiative
Paris has suffered unprecedented levels of air pollution in recent years. In response, Mayor Anne Hidalgo has declared war on the car and aims to reduce their number by half. Swathes of the city will be pedestrianised. Regular, city-wide car free days are now held. Diesel vehicles will be banned from the city by 2020, much earlier than in comparable European capitals such as London. Continue reading “RIPPL #37: Vert Chez Vous – Lessons from a Parisian Boat-Bike Initiative”
RIPPL #36: Boat-Bike: DHL’s multimodal Amsterdam logistics chain
Send a DHL package to the centre of Amsterdam and there is a good chance it will take an unconventional multimodal journey. Bikes, with their ability to navigate the last mile in the narrow, busy streets of Amsterdam’s old centre, act as the last link in an unconventional logistics chain. Continue reading “RIPPL #36: Boat-Bike: DHL’s multimodal Amsterdam logistics chain”
RIPPL #35: Keeping it clean – Hamburg street cleaners trial switch to e-trikes
Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH), the organisation responsible for keeping Hamburg clean, have begun using cargo trikes for some of their operations. Two custom-built electric cargo trikes fitted with GPS trackers have taken on work that was previously carried out by light commercial vehicles. In total SRH will pilot ten cargo cycles as part of a research project. Continue reading “RIPPL #35: Keeping it clean – Hamburg street cleaners trial switch to e-trikes”
RIPPL #33: Velove and Radkutsche: Towards Container Standardisation
When talking about innovation in cycle logistics, the term ‘containerisation’ could refer to one of two things; use of shipping containers as flexible loading space, or the use of transferable containers to move items around using pedal power. Continue reading “RIPPL #33: Velove and Radkutsche: Towards Container Standardisation”
RIPPL #32: Fietskoeriers – nationwide, same day deliveries by bike
Fietskoeriers.nl is a collective of 15 bicycle courier companies who together cover every major town and city in the Netherlands. They offer a number of different services, but one in particular is unique: they are able to deliver packages by bike on a same day service, nationwide. Continue reading “RIPPL #32: Fietskoeriers – nationwide, same day deliveries by bike”
RIPPL #31: UPS – Reducing vehicle movements with city centre container hubs
Global logistics operator UPS have been trialling a new way to reduce vehicle movements in the dense city streets of Hamburg, Dublin and Leuven. Once every day, an on-street storage container – the rear of a short articulated truck – is placed in a pre-arranged central location. The container is pre-loaded with all of the packages to be delivered to the central area that day and becomes UPS’ delivery hub. Continue reading “RIPPL #31: UPS – Reducing vehicle movements with city centre container hubs”
RIPPL #30: La Tricyclerie – the circular economy, à la pédale
La Tricyclerie is an initiative based in Nantes, France, which collects organic waste from local businesses on cargo tricycles and bike trailers. The waste, which comes from 30 restaurants in three Nantes neighbourhoods, is collected by a team of volunteers. Twice-weekly collections add up to an estimated 20 tons annually, which is taken to local composting facilities. All collections are weighed, with the business or restaurant’s contribution tracked. Continue reading “RIPPL #30: La Tricyclerie – the circular economy, à la pédale”
RIPPL #29: PAZTIR – chasing efficiency in the time, management and security domains
How can cycle logistics operators become more efficient? How can they prevent theft? How can they better control their operations? PAZTIR is a system that aims to address all of these questions. Continue reading “RIPPL #29: PAZTIR – chasing efficiency in the time, management and security domains”