Shrewsbury: Two electric cargo bikes available to public

Shrewsbury Cycle Hub said the bikes would be made available to residents following a £13,000 grant

Two new electric cargo bikes are to be made available for community use in a bid to reduce car and van traffic.

Shrewsbury Cycle Hub said the bikes were purchased with a £13,000 grant from the town council.

The bikes are designed to carry shopping and small cargo and are free to use for the first 24 hours of loan.

The hub - a community charity focused on improving access to sustainable transport - hopes people choose the bikes as an option over their cars.

Additionally, there is said to be commercial application for the transport of goods and parcels.

"One of the critical things is to enable journeys where people would normally think about having to get the car, just to get something in the boot," said Mark Fermor, chair of the trustees.

Mr Fermor added that while the bikes could be viewed as an opportunity for residents to "try before they buy", those who just needed them occasionally could borrow one whenever needed.

'Whizz around'

Julian Dean, Shrewsbury Town councillor, praised the launch, explaining that it coincided with consultation on wider council strategies to better manage traffic.

He said: "The opportunities for cargo bikes to whizz around and do deliveries is absolutely part of what the strategy is all about, so the timing is perfect."