TNT Italy launches bicycle delivery service in Milan
Express carrier TNT Italy has launched a new bike delivery service within the city of Milan. The company currently facing a takeover by rival carriers FedEx said it has introduced a team of five cyclists to replace four vans within the city centre of Milan.
The move will help the delivery service counter congested roads and the limitations within Milan’s Area C designated traffic-restricted zone.
But, the firm is also planning on introducing similar Bike Delivery Services in other Northern Italian cities.
The Milan initiative will also see TNT Italy cutting its carbon emissions by between 50 and 80kg per day, the company said, as each biker travels around 20km per day or about 5,000km each year to make about 80 stops a day.
The service inaugurated at the end of April is using lightweight “Fixie” bicycles supplied by BH Bikes, which are fixed-gear rather than multi-gear bikes, saving on weight and improving simplicity and urban control.
“This initiative is part of TNT’s strategy to increase both efficiency and productivity in complex urban environments, while providing eco-friendly transport solutions for last mile deliveries,” the company said.
“It also supports the company’s ambition to reduce its CO2 emissions. The Bike Delivery Service in Milan is the first step of a wider bike and e-bike project TNT Italy will implement in other cities in Northern Italy including Turin, Monza and Bergamo.”
TNT Italy employs more than 2,700 people in Italy, with a network of 100 hubs and depots. The firm currently has a fleet of 115 “eco-friendly” vehicles including gas-powered vehicles, electric vans, scooters, cargo bikes and tricycles.
