Ebike trial for Sidmouth

Delivery and ferry service on the cards

A combined e-trike delivery-and-passenger service could be trialled in the Sid Valley area.

The plan would see the e-trikes used to both carry out deliveries around the town, but also to ferry passengers, and the town’s residents. 

It follows a survey which showed most people in Sidmouth are appreciating there being less traffic and that half of both customers and shopkeepers said they would use a newly formed local delivery service if it continued.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, who represents Sidmouth on Devon County Council as is the cabinet member for highways, has offered to make available £2,000 from his locality budget towards this project as long as it was being administered by the Vision Group or another recognised group, and said that he would be 100 per cent behind any scheme.

He added: “I’m a great believer and ambassador in everything to do with cycling and E Bikes enable people to cycle for longer and in fact Olivia De Haviland who sadly passed away a few weeks ago was still enjoying cycling at 104 thanks to an E-Bike.

“There is also a place for shopping deliveries being made by e-Bike and even a benefit to local tourism economy in the summer with an E-Cargo Bike rickshaw service.

“I do hope that this will be progressed further and am 100 per cent behind any scheme and will offer any help I can to see it happen, and I’ve offered to make available £2,000 from my locality budget towards this project as long as it was being administered by the Vision Group or another recognised group, but I can’t however make funding available to individuals in setting up a business.

“I have raised this with Sidmouth town council who are looking at possibly having Co-Bikes with docking stations at the Ham near information centre and other localities.”
The idea of the Sid 0Valley having its own e-trike delivery-and-passenger service came up during lockdown, following a survey sent out by the Vision Group for Sidmouth, together with the Town Council.