London businesses to get grants towards cargo bikes

A group of five London boroughs has been awarded £180,000 by the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund to help more businesses switch to cargobikes.

Businesses in the five London boroughs - Westminster, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and the City of London - can from today apply for grants towards the cost of cargo bikes for deliveries and work travel, helping to cut bills and improve air quality.

The project is being operated by the Zero Emissions Network, following a successful bid to the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund.

It will also see its cargo bike share scheme, where bikes are available to rent by the minute from local docking stations, improved and expanded to new areas in the five boroughs.

With over 3,000 resident and business members, Zero Emissions Network is an award-winning initiative that helps people save money, reduce emissions and improve local air quality.

It has recently expanded to the City of London, Westminster and Newham after already helping nearly 100 businesses - including electricians, florists and hairdressers - switch to cargo or e-bikes in Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

The network also offers free advice and services to help people switch to low emission transport.

In addition, Zero Emissions Network has been offered a further £704,000 by the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund to develop a number of new projects in the five boroughs, including a pilot to use sustainable transport for last-mile deliveries, business engagement to get more businesses using sustainable transport and running events to encourage people to reduce emissions from transport.
 

Residents and businesses can sign up to the Zero Emissions Network online and be the first to hear when the new funding becomes available. 

Working with businesses to cut transport emissions is a key part of our air quality and climate action plans, which is why we co-founded the Zero Emissions Network and why we’re thrilled to now be working with four more boroughs.

Cargo bikes help cut bills for businesses, support faster deliveries, help improve air quality and create a greener, healthier Hackney.

Cllr Mete Coban MBE, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport

Hands down the best transport we've ever purchased as a business. we can carry more, faster, and greater than ever. It's been revolutionary! It honestly makes me so happy.

Lloyd Morgan, of London Locks, who is a previous ZEN grant recipient