Pedal & Post at Univ

large cargo bow with Pedal & Post on the front and the univ logo on the side As part of our ongoing ambitions to reduce our environmental impact, the College has led on the development of a pilot project for the Colleges for “final mile” parcel delivery by cargo bike. The concept is not new – you will have seen the bikes around Oxford – but their use by colleges is.

We will be engaging Pedal and Post, based on Binsey Lane, who already work with companies including Evri and DPD (with Fedex, UPS and DHL to follow). The pilot, involving six colleges, starts on 1 September before the rush of Michaelmas Term begins and will run for a full year. There will be no cost to the student or staff member for this service.

Currently we have up to 100 parcels delivered to the Lodge on a daily basis across more than a dozen different delivery drops. Amazon are the only significant courier which does not contract to Pedal and Post, so the biggest impact we can make is to change the address on our Amazon purchases to have them routed through the Pedal and Post system; however, please do change your delivery address on every online order you make to make sure we achieve the biggest impact.

The address to ask for delivery to is:
[Your Name]
University College
Pedal and Post
Binsey Lane
Oxford, OX2 0EX

For Staverton residents, both second years and the residents of the flats the address is:

[Your Name]
University College ANNEX
Pedal and Post
Binsey Lane
Oxford, OX2 0EX

When parcels arrive at Univ they will be passed on in the standard way, usually pidge for Fellows and staff and Pack City lockers for students. We will receive one delivery each afternoon from the cargo bikes.

We warmly encourage you to use the service by making this simple change, not only to reduce our environmental impact, particularly in that last slow mile through our streets, but in support of the University’s Vision Zero ambitions, where cyclist and pedestrian safety is improved through fewer couriers and vehicle movements in the City. The scheme can only be as good as we can make it, so your participation is key; watch out for social media and poster campaigns around College as we continue to bring this pilot to everyone’s attention.

Throughout the year we will report to the Sustainability Committee on how the scheme is going and will return to the College community for feedback and advice.

FAQs about the scheme can be found below, but if you have any further questions please contact Domestic Bursar and Chair of Univ’s Sustainability Committee, Angela Unsworth, E: Angela.Unsworth@univ.ox.ac.uk

Many thanks in advance for helping us reduce our environmental impact.

FAQs

Do I need to change my address when ordering parcels?
Yes, You should change your address as follows:
[Your Name]
[Name of College]
Pedal and Post
Oxford, OX2 0EX

This applies to all orders you make online.

Pedal & Post will also be working directly with DPD and Evri parcel carriers on this project so some parcels will be automatically included without needing to change your address and we’ll update when these go live in the pilot.

Is there any limit on the size/weight of parcels which can be delivered by Pedal and Post?
There is no limitation and it includes furniture, sofas, fridges. The weight limit is 300kg per item and max dimensions of 2.65m long and 1m wide. We’ll have a lot of fun showing what cargo bikes can really carry.

Is there anything which cannot be delivered by Pedal and Post, for example food items?
Anything that comes via online orders and a parcel carrier will be suitable for Pedal & Post. We would encourage not changing government letters / medical letters like GPs notes / super urgent deliveries you maybe require before the usual time slot for your college drop off.

Will Pedal and Post deliver to my college every day, and what time will deliveries arrive in college?
Pedal and Post will deliver to colleges Monday-Saturday every week for 52 weeks of the year. Parcels will be delivered to the time specified in your porters lodge and requested by them but generally between 3-6pm

How do I collect my parcel?
The process once Pedal and Post have delivered parcels to the College should remain unchanged. Wherever you currently collect parcels from should remain extant unless the Colleges makes changes which it will advise you on with sufficient notice for you to make alternative collection arrangements.

What happens if I require next day delivery, e.g. an Amazon Prime delivery?
This can still arrive as part of the project with the address change however for urgent deliveries required before the usual drop off time simply use the college address as normal

What happens if my parcel goes missing or is damaged?
Each parcel will be scanned into the college branded pallets, colleges can track proof of delivery, for each parcel, College lodges will be notified when the drop off from Pedal & Post is coming too.

Pedal and Post has a dedicated telephone helpline for any problems with your parcel on: 01865 791866

You can also contact them by email info@pedalandpost.co.uk

Pedal and Post have their own insurance for these purposes and will cover the costs should there be any damage to your parcel at any point between arrival in its depot and delivery to college.

What kind of CO2 savings are expected?
Expected savings are 204g CO2 per parcel for the last mile section of the delivery supply chain. This is an estimation from a study into the last mile logistics that can be found at clean-mobility.org

If we changed all 500,000 online deliveries made by students to Oxford colleges we’d save around 101 tons of co2, that equals:
• 12 million smart phone charges
• 50,000 liters of diesel not burnt
• 250,000 average gasoline powered car miles not driven

What will happen after the 12-month pilot?
The Colleges Domestic Bursars’ Committee will review arrangements around 2-3 months before the pilot ends (but after the service has been running for three terms) in order to assess the impact of the exercise.

Find out more about Pedal and Post at pedalandpost.co.uk

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Published: 23 August 2023

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