A UK courier service has shut done for good after 14 years of operation, and its closure has resulted in the loss of 60 jobs. Pedal&Post used cargo bikes instead of vans to deliver over 1,000 parcels a day across Oxford. The company, which has 60 employees, offered services to the likes of Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust.
However, after losing a “major client” that accounted for a quarter of its revenue, the company was forced to close its Oxford site, and its London hub that launched last summer.
Voi, a micromobility company Pedal&Post worked with, ended its contract with the courier service, claiming it is “going in a different direction operationally”. The decision has left Pedal&Post unable to continue raising money, and the courier service has said that its “journey has come to an end”.
Shareholders have also been informed that they’re “unlikely to get their investments returned” as the company proceeds through liquidation.
The firm said: “Despite exploring every possible avenue to continue – and truly exhausting all options – we have reached the point where we can no longer sustain the business.
“While this chapter has come to a close, we firmly believe that this is not the end of cargo bike logistics.
“The landscape today looks very different to when we started – with major carriers now investing in low-carbon, bike-based urban delivery models.
“We’re proud to have been a part of that shift and to have helped pave the way”.
Customers shared their disappointment on Facebook, including Oxford-based campaign group Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel.
The group said: “You have been a bright feature of the Oxford streetscape for more than a decade, and we have enjoyed following and supporting your progress.
“We hope that other cycle-based logistics firms will rise to take the space that you have created.”