CitySprint says jogging and biking strategy “paid off” during Olympics

UK same-day delivery company CitySprint has said its contingency measures worked will during the Olympic Games in London this month. The company that describes itself as the largest privately-owned same-day distribution company in the UK said its bike fleet handled 27% more deliveries compared to the same period last year.

Altogether, the firm said it made more than 75,000 deliveries to London postcodes during the Olympics, which ran from 27th July to 12th August.

CitySprint’s cycle couriers covered more than 26,000 miles during the Games, with each cyclist clocking up 248 miles per week.

Along with cyclists, the company also used a team of joggers and rollerbladers during the Games, with concerns that measures put in place by London transport authorities to ease the transport of Games participants would affect traffic congestion and access to postcode areas close to Games venues.

CitySprint said its jogging couriers ran an average of 115 miles between them each day during the event, with one runner covering 109 miles during the Olympic period.

CitySprint said its rollerbladers had meant more speedy deliveries than joggers, with one package delivered four miles in just 22 minutes.

Overall, the company said its team saw a 33% increase in carbon neutral deliveries during the period compared to the same period last year.

Patrick Gallagher, the CitySprint CEO, said: “We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for the Olympic period, so it’s great that our hard work has paid off. The joggers and rollerbladers that we drafted in especially for the Games have been a real asset, and we’re very proud of how hard all our couriers have worked to minimise the impact on our customers.”

CitySprint has a network of 35 wholly-owned service centres across the UK, and a fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles. The company says its same-day network can reach more than 81% of mainland UK within 60 minutes.