Salford City Council will buy 18 electric bikes able to carry cargo, and three trailers that will hit the roads next year.
The news comes after a successful £132,000 funding bid to the Energy Saving Trust.
18 electric bikes that can carry cargo and three separate trailers that can be attached to electric or ordinary bikes are being bought with the funds.
City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said: “We’ve seen a huge increase in cycling during the pandemic and we’re all familiar with take away and courier cyclists whizzing around the city.
“E cargo bikes allow larger deliveries to be made safely and easily and are a brilliant idea because they have little impact on the environment and help keep the cyclist fit.
“Our bike library will allow local businesses to try out different models of bike to find one to suit their needs and the more vans and cars we can replace with them the better for easing congestion and helping to tackle climate change.”
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Eight of the Salford electric bikes are being divided out among local businesses, with two bikes going to Salford Royal Hospital, and RHS Garden Bridgewater, and one bike will also go to the University of Salford.
Salford Royal Hospital will also receive one trailer for their use.
To encourage green deliveries, 10 bikes and two trailers will be available to rent from local bike hire shop Manchester Bike Hire, who will manage the rental scheme.
The University of Salford will be collecting and analysing data about the use of the vehicles over the three-year scheme.
Community projects Visit From the Stork who deliver recycled toys to families in need, wholefood shop and café The Deli Lama, and photographer Simon Buckley who was the inspiration behind the Not Quite Light Festival, will receive one electric bike each as a donation.
According to the founder of Visit From The Stork, Kimberly Bond, the social enterprise that supports families in Greater Manchester had planned to launch ‘That Toy Thing’ before the pandemic.
For £5 a month people can buy a subscription and receive £20 worth of toys, which ensures ‘abandoned’ toys are being re-used.
Kimberly Bond said: “We are excited about using our new e-cargo bike and our funding from the National lottery. Having the bike means we will be able to collect donations of good quality toys and ensure they go to homes that need them to help children develop and thrive.”
Local photographer Simon Buckley has expressed his excitement as this new opportunity.
He said: “I’m really quite excited to be part of this trial scheme, using electric cargo bikes. Often to take my dawn photographs I have to travel to strange parts of the city, where public transport doesn’t go meaning a car, given the equipment I have to carry, is my only option.
“To have a cargo bike now means I can do my work car free, and that is great as I really believe in us using the car less, helping achieve our aim of reducing carbon and other pollution.”
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