Travel greener locally with Redbridge’s new community electric cargo bikes
Published: 24 September 2026
Redbridge Council has partnered with the UK’s largest electric cargo bike sharing service to launch a subsidised new green travel option in the borough.
Two community hire e-cargo bikes have been introduced in South Woodford and Wanstead for the first time under the council backed initiative.
Aimed at supporting local people to make more sustainable travel choices for shorter trips around the borough, the e-bikes offer an affordable and more eco-friendly form of travel.
The bikes are already in operation and available to hire after being officially launched in Redbridge last week, in partnership with the Council, local businesses Cafe Chicchi, and Creative Biscuit, and OurBike - the UK's largest community electric cargo bike share scheme.
With a spacious cargo box designed to hold more items than a standard bike, it gives people and businesses a new way to carry shopping, make local deliveries and enjoy family trips in a more environmentally friendly way.
The scheme has been subsidised by Redbridge Council using TfL funds to keep hire costs low at £5 an hour helping make the bikes more accessible across the community.
New users can also get an hour of free hire, along with three hours of free hire for new businesses - giving users a chance to see how e-cargo bikes could fit into their routine.
Designed for everyday errands and trips, the sturdy three-wheeler combines its large cargo box, which is big enough to transport children, with electric assistance to help riders pedal with power for heavier loads.
From doing the weekly shop to school runs, the hire bikes offer a new sustainable travel choice, enabling people to use a cargo bike without buying one, finding space to store it, or taking on its maintenance.
The bikes can be hired by businesses too, providing companies with a way to move supplies or make nearby deliveries without needing a car or van for every journey.
In addition to its green credentials the bikes also encourage more active travel helping make physical activity part of an everyday task to boost health and fitness.
Redbridge Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods, Cllr Jo Blackman, said: "We want to make it easier for people to choose greener ways to travel for everyday journeys. These two shared cargo bikes give residents and local businesses another option, with local hosts helping to make the scheme part of community life."
Under the green scheme, the bikes can be hired by anyone and used throughout Redbridge but will have to be collected from its permanent base by Cafe Chicchi, in Wanstead or Creative Biscuit, in South Woodford, and also returned there once the hire has ended.
To book your bike, download the OurBike app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and register for an account. Once approved, users can find their local bike, reserve a time for pick-up and follow the app's instructions to unlock it. The bikes can be booked up to 6 months in advance.
Emma Hughes, General Manager of OurBike, said: "There are plenty of short journeys where people would like to cycle but have too much to carry on a standard bike. OurBike gives them a practical way to try something different, whether that's picking up the shopping, heading out with the family or making a local delivery.”
The two local host businesses Cafe Chicchi, and Creative Biscuit, will help keep the bikes ready for the community by charging and swapping their batteries, while OurBike manages bookings, maintenance and customer support.
For more information go to: https://www.ourbike.co.uk/
