TNT gets on its trike to deliver to French city centres

BeCycle delivery tricycle TNT Express is turning to tricycles to deliver express shipments to French city centers and cut its environmental impact.

Nine months of tests in Lyon had shown all the advantages of this means of distribution in terms of reliability, efficiency, service quality and image, TNT Express France said. The three-wheeled delivery bikes were an ecological alternative for deliveries that reduced pollution and noise in city centre areas, it noted.

In Lyon, the express company is currently using four electrically-powered cycles in TNT colours and operated by drivers of the “BeCycle” delivery company to distribute documents and small parcels to about 150 business customers. TNT will expand the Lyon project by acquiring more BeCycle tricycles and adding more districts to the tricycle delivery rounds in October.

At the same time, TNT will introduce a similar service in eight other French cities over the next few months. In total, nine cities are expected to be served by 20 tricycles by the end of 2007.

Depending on the location, TNT will use BeCycle and “La Petite Reine”, which has been providing delivery in Paris since June 2007 and in Rouen. Service started in Bordeaux in July, Nancy, Grenoble and Dijon will gain tricycles in September, to be followed by Montpellier and Rennes at the end of the year.

The initiative is included in the international action plan of TNT which is aimed at reducing CO2 emissions.