“A lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry”: London Assembly member responds to mockery over comments suggesting tradespeople switch to cargo bikes

A Liberal Democrat member of the London Assembly who suggested that construction workers could travel by bike instead of vans to tackle high fuel costs, congestion and emissions has responded after social media became awash with AI-generated videos mocking the idea of tradespeople using bikes to carry tools and equipment. 

In the debate – that appeared on LBC’s Cross Question with Iain Dale last Thursday – Hina Bokhari said that travelling by van in London is not “economical” and “doesn’t make sense”, suggesting that a cargo bike is another option: “This is a way forward”, says Bokhari, citing the Assembly’s investigation and Winning the Race to Net Zero report that urges Transport for London to promote alternative travel options.

> AI pile-on at expense of Lib Dem London Assembly member who suggested tradespeople could carry equipment by cargo bike keeps rolling on

Conservative councillor Festus Akinbusoye dismisses the idea of carrying equipment such as a cement mixer by cargo bike, while Dale also chimes in by asking how a ladder can be carried by cargo bike.

“There’s enough ways to carry all sorts of things on a cargo bike”, continued Bokhari.

“You can carry fridges, you can carry enormous amounts on cargo bikes. Even TfL are looking into it.”

A week later, the debate has continued to inspire hundreds of AI-generated clips and images of tradespeople carrying ladders, tins of paint, and other unwieldy items on bikes that are (perhaps intentionally) a world away from modern cargo bikes – and while businesses, social media personalities and the public have joined in the pile-on, some active travel advocates and businesses that do utilise cargo bikes for their daily business such as Pedal Me have sprung to Bokhari’s defence.

In a statement, Bokhari told ebiketips: “Of course, not every tradesperson would be able to replace their van with a cargo bike. But I think a lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry, and by the advantages they can offer, particularly in busy parts of London. They can cut costs, avoid congestion and parking problems, and help clean up the capital’s air.

“That is why, in the London Assembly, we looked at how we can make it easier for more businesses to switch to cargo bikes where that works for them. The important thing is supporting businesses that want to make that change, promoting the opportunities that are available, and making sure TfL is doing what it can to help.

“I hope the recent debate has at least opened more people’s eyes to what modern cargo bikes are capable of and encouraged more businesses to consider whether cargo bikes might actually be an option for them after all.”

So… can you carry a ladder by cargo bike?

Unequivocally the answer is yes: even on a standard rack or front carrier of an electric cargo bike such as the Tern GSD or Urban Arrow a ladder plus much more can be carried, with total rider plus cargo weights for bikes like these often rated at 200kg and above. The London cargo delivery specialist Pedal Me regularly shares pictures of huge loads its bikes can carry with add-on trailers and accessories.

The bewilderment and words used by Iain Dale and his guest in the LBC debate suggests they may have been wholly unaware of the kind of bikes Bokhari was talking about: “You are not going to carry a ladder on a push bike”, said Festus Akinbusoye, comments which perhaps helped to inspire the AI feeding frenzy that followed showing tradesmen attempting to carry loads on conventional ‘push bikes’ not built for the job for comic effect.

A quickfire radio debate was probably an unfortunate forum for Bokhari to explain how and why a properly equipped electric cargo bike can easily harbour a ladder, tools, or even a pub’s entire delivery of beer for a few days.

It could be said that the exchange and ridicule that followed demonstrated how culturally alien the concept of tradespeople using a bike is in vast swathes of the UK. Some may rarely benefit from using an electric cargo bike instead of a van: a bike could be much more difficult to load up, their daily journeys might be spread out and difficult to navigate by bike, or the equipment they need would simply be too heavy and awkward to load onto a cargo bike. There are already tradespeople – from plumbers to electricians – who have switched to bikes successfully, so the idea is nowhere near as far-fetched as some of the commentary and reactions have made out.