DPD Germany “highly satisfied” with transport bikes pilot

One year on from the official launch of its pilot scheme using bikes to make parcel deliveries in the city of Nuremberg, DPD Germany has announced that it has so far handled 80,000 parcels and has been “highly satisfied with the results”.

In a statement posted on its website, DPD said: “Thanks to the use of five electrically assisted transport bikes it has been possible to replace five conventional delivery vans almost completely.

“Encouraged by this positive experience in Nuremberg, DPD will be launching further deliveries by transport bike and has already begun operations in Heilbronn. Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and further cities will follow in the course of the year. In Hamburg DPD has been operating a number of electrically powered transport bikes since the beginning of 2017.”

Gerd Seber, Group Manager Sustainability & Innovation at DPD  Germany, commented: “In the dense traffic of the inner city the transport bike has developed into a real alternative to conventional delivery vehicles.

“In view of possible impending access restrictions, the development of such sustainable city logistics solutions is becoming ever more important. Our positive cooperation with the City of Nuremberg indicates that shared operational procedures adopted by the municipality and parcel services are good for everyone – not least for city centre businesses and residents.“

In the Nuremberg pilot project, DPD’s transport bikes are based at a 130 m² “micro-depot” in the centrally located “Nürbanum” business park in Nuremberg South. The parcels are brought to the micro-depot by van, and then distributed among the bikes for final delivery. The batteries of the bikes are also charged at the micro-depot and – in particular during cold weather – the delivery personnel always carry a replacement battery with them.