City logistics, sustainability and delivery on the last mile are topics that Austrian Post has been addressing for years. In a 3-month pilot project, Post is now testing delivery on e-cargo bicycles via centrally located city hubs for CO2-neutral delivery on the last mile. This was announced on July 23 with the pilot project “City Hub Wien” by Peter Umundum, Head of the Package and Logistics Department at Österreichische Post, together with the district head of the third district of Vienna, Erich Hohenberger.
A truck takes the parcels from two sites in central location, pre-sorted to the City Hub, from where the deliverers can start directly with the bikes. This alternative delivery is to replace a complete tour with the van. This means that the same amount of packages can be delivered via bike as with a regular diesel vehicle.
The pilot project will run for three months, during which initial experience and feasibility will be assessed. “The question is how delivery in the last mile can be made more sustainable, yet efficient and feasible. We are pursuing a new approach in which delivery boxes are pre-loaded with parcels in the logistics center and taken to the city hub from there. Our delivery staff must not longer sort the packages themselves, but take them directly to delivery and can immediately start their tour with the cargo bike,” says Peter Umundum.
“As part of the initiative “CO2-neutrally delivered”, launched in 2011, Austrian Post is CO2-neutral for all letters, parcels, magazines and advertising mail in Austria. We are the first Austrian company to underscore the importance of our sustainable logistics with our voluntary membership in the EV100, a global climate protection initiative,” says Peter Umundum. Therefore company has bought a total of 110 all-electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. last year, 139 further units are currently in delivery.
