Bakery goes greener with new electric delivery bikes

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Newcastle upon Tyne-based Pink Lane Bakery is switching its delivery service from a diesel van to a zero-emission bike.

The business has partnered with e-bike delivery service ZMove, which is also based in Newcastle, for its daily deliveries.

These include stocking the baker’s shop on Pink Lane in Newcastle city centre from its recently opened production and retail bakery at the Old Fire Station in Gosforth, as well as servicing short-range buffet deliveries across the city centre.

“We’re now getting all of our stock and ingredients deliveries at Gosforth and putting items on bikes daily as needed,” said Neil Le Flohic, co-owner at Pink Lane Bakery.

“It saves a further four to five city centre deliveries per week, at least three of which would be by truck, and the rest by van. Using ZMove also means I now cycle to work, saving a further ten journeys most weeks. Gosforth is one of the worst areas for road pollution, so that’s a definite benefit.”

The electric bikes are expected to cover 2,400 miles annually, saving over a tonne of CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) and 2.3kg of NO_x(nitrous oxides).

Newcastle is set to next year introduce a Clean Air Zone, that will charge certain vehicles for entering the city centre.

“Once the Clean Air Zone is in place, we’ll also be saving over £3,800 a year – money we would have spent on daily charges to enter the Clean Air Zone, which covers the direct route between our two outlets.”

The government has pledged to achieve a Category C – Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Newcastle city centre by 2021 and has encouraged business owners to explore alternative solutions to city centre deliveries and logistics.

“The confirmation of the Category C – Clean Air Zone in Newcastle means there’s no better time for city centre-based businesses to reconsider their approach to logistics. Our bikes use a variety of routes and river crossings unavailable to cars and vans and are often able to pick up and drop off goods right at the door, keeping speed high and costs low,” said Nick Mason, director at ZMove.