A research paper by Karolina Isaksson and Jens Alm aims to deepen the insights into specific policy and planning prerequisites that affect how bicycle logistics services can be initiated and established in urban environments. Empirical data consist of policy documents and qualitative interviews with bicycle logistics entrepreneurs and local policy actors from four Swedish municipalities, which are all known for their ambitious strategies for sustainable transport. The research focused on two Swedish bicycle logistic companies: MoveByBike (MBB) and Pling Transport (Pling).
The paper leads to insights into various challenges facing the introduction of bicycle logistics in urban environments but also points to possibilities and key issues for the further development of these types of concepts.
Among these are the importance of targeted initiatives and support for new concepts for sustainable urban freight, but also conscious strategies for infrastructure development and more well-informed use of public procurement processes. In addition, the study confirms the importance of norms, attitudes, and knowledge among policymakers, planners, and potential customers about bicycle logistics and its potential for urban areas.
Given the obstacles and inertia in terms of existing transport infrastructure, combined with prevailing norms and perspectives within key organizations, and vested interests from a conventional freight industry, there is a need for more clear and conscious political strategies – that also needs to be turned into more operative policies and plans – if the potential of bicycle logistics to support a more sustainable urban transport system shall be realized.
Source: Karolina Isaksson, Jens Alm, Establishing bicycle logistics in urban areas—Experiences from entrepreneurs and local policy actors, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives,
Volume 13, 2022, 100556, ISSN 2590-1982, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100556.