Interview of the Cargo Bike project manager to the Trans-LOGISTICS Kazakhstan magazine

Tom Assmann, Head of the research group «Logistics Transport Systems» at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, an expert in urban logistics planning and new technologies for sustainable logistics, as well as the head of the Cargo Bike project, gave an interview to the business magazine «Trans-LOGISTICS Kazakhstan».

In his interview, Tom notes that the use of cargo bicycles in small and medium-sized businesses, as well as by citizens in everyday life, must be provided with basic infrastructure: specialized bike shops, safe parking spaces (especially for those living in apartment buildings) and service.

Financing also remains a key issue for stimulating the use of cargo bicycles, since cargo bicycles are more expensive than conventional ones. However, another important factor is the provision of transshipment hubs, so-called micro — hubs-small structures where goods are reloaded from feeding vehicles to a cargo bicycle. It is necessary that the micro-hubs are located in the immediate vicinity of the delivery point, since the cargo bike must return two or three times during the day to complete all deliveries.

Thus, if these conditions are met, a cargo bike can replace a van and, as the experience of European pilot projects of large parcel delivery companies shows, even save money.

You can learn more about this and more in the manual «Planning of cargo bicycle hubs», where the basics of urban bicycle logistics are revealed, practical examples of use are given and the process of planning transshipment centers for cargo bicycles is described.

The manual is available HERE.

Read the full interview in the magazine «Trans-LOGISTICS of Kazakhstan».

Cargo Bike Project

The project is aimed at promoting new sustainable solutions focused on the greater use of Cargo Bike and local logistics hubs in Kazakhstan.

Within the framework of this project, the DKU LogCentre Logistics communication and transfer Center held a series of seminars aimed at initiating new sustainable urban logistics solutions and sets three goals:

• Motivation of stakeholders to initialize new urban logistics systems.

• Informing about innovative urban logistics solutions and planning principles.

• Demonstration of the feasibility of cargo bicycles as a solution for urban logistics development and development of urban logistics supplements for SUMP (Plan for the sustainable development of urban mobility).

During the discussions, the participants of the seminar actively asked questions concerning, among other things, the legal aspects of the use of this type of transport in cargo transportation in Kazakhstan.

The active discussion perfectly reflected the interest of local companies in the project.

The participants of the seminar concluded that the presence of problems should not interfere with development, but should be a motivator in finding solutions.