To reduce road freight in the city centre, the municipality of Lyon has decided to relaunch and intensify deliveries by river boat. The last step of delivery to the shops will be carried out by electric cargo bikes.
“More than 40,000 tonnes of goods will be transported each year in low-carbon mode,” said Lyon mayor Grégory Doucet.
Nouvelle étape vers une logistique urbaine décarbonée : Nous inaugurons aujourd’hui une solution logistique innovante qui combine transport fluvial et acheminement par vélo-cargo depuis le Port E.Herriot jusqu’au Pont Morand.
Et ce n’est qu’un début ! ⤵️#ULS pic.twitter.com/aEnmG31MuF— Grégory Doucet (@Gregorydoucet) June 29, 2022
“The use of a boat and 15 bicycles will replace 150 vans and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 92% compared to last-mile delivery using diesel,” added Thomas Castan, president of the company ULS responsible for piloting the project.
The pilot is being carried out in a partnership between Voies navigables de France, the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, and ULS, who provides for the goods to arrive via the Edouard-Herriot port. Then, the parcels, pallets or crates of all kinds will be transported on a 20-tonne barge which will go up the Rhône to the Morand bridge, near the town hall in just under 50 minutes.
The cargo will then be collected by delivery people and transported by electric cargo bikes to the client.
At the start, a fleet of seven electric bicycles with seven trailers will be deployed. Each bike will be able to carry a capacity of 200 kg.
An increase in the fleet is planned with the growth of freight, states the city.
Photo credits @ Gregorydoucet/ Twitter