Bolt Food, Pathway Cycles initiative puts new spin on food deliveries

Bolt Food in partnership with Pathway Cycles in Cape Town are looking to change the way food is delivered with a pilot project that will see couriers using electric bicycles as their mode of transport. The initiative aims to boost income for drivers, reduce the service's impact on the environment, and changing the way that fleet owners work with delivery platforms.

Image: supplied

Pathway Cycles owns a fleet of environmentally friendly electric bicycles, each fitted with a Vizicube digital screen box that plays paid-for advertising. It then partners with couriers registered on the Bolt Food platform to deliver food items ordered via the service, giving advertisers mobile exposure while providing a mode of transport with lower running costs.

Couriers do not pay to use the electric bicycles and they earn the same fees that they would if they were driving a motorbike.

“This is the first time that Bolt Food is partnering with an electric bicycle service provider in South Africa, and its success could pave the way for a shift in food and parcel delivery services in Cape Town and across the country,” says James Townsend-Rose, country manager for Bolt Food in South Africa.

“The partnership speaks directly to Bolt’s commitment to be climate positive, as articulated in our Green Plan, and our quest for sustainability – for our planet and the people that use our platform – drives every decision we make.”

The pilot project is currently running in Greenpoint, where couriers collect their fully-charged electric bicycle every morning with an overnight charge that yields over 100km of riding.

The bicycles have a built in tracking system, and come complete with access to a motor plan and workshop for ongoing maintenance. Couriers benefit from the safety and visibility offered by a 360 degree light too, ensuring that they complete deliveries safely, day and night.

“Our business model depends on having our full fleet of electric bicycles fitted with Vizicubes out on the road, and with Bolt Food’s service increasing in demand, this pilot project makes good business sense,” says Ricky Ross, chairman of the Board for Pathway Cycles. “We look forward to expanding the service across Cape Town in the coming weeks and months, and potentially even further afield too!”