As you’re probably aware I’m not a fan of London’s upcoming Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion which will see anyone driving a non-compliant vehicle into Greater London (think anywhere inside the M25 and you won’t be too far off!) fined £12.50 every time they enter the zone. Actually, ‘not a fan’ doesn’t begin to describe my feelings if I’m honest and I’ve become pretty vocal about it on social media and in local protest groups. One argument that tends to get ULEZ supporters thinking twice is that those who need to carry the tools of their trade – such as window cleaners, carpet cleaners, delivery drivers and the like, cannot do so on public transport or on a pushbike and that if they’re driving a non-compliant vehicle, it’s likely that they can’t afford a newer one. 

 

I won’t say that seeing the pictures this morning of some of Blackpool Council’s waste and environmental services team, (Enveco NW Environmental Services) posing proudly on their tricycles changed my mind, but it did teach me that there are sometimes exceptions to the rule. The tricycles (www.jorviktricycles.com) enable the team to easily navigate the coastline, shopping centre and high footfall areas more quickly and thus currently improve productivity in general street cleaning, litter picking, street sweeping and litter bin washing. 

 

“For staff who don’t have a driver's license or where activities would have required a small van to carry out ordinary daily tasks, these tricycles provide a more flexible and versatile option than the traditional operative and barrow,” says Enveco’s operations director Jez Evans, who’s so impressed that he’s looking to expand the scheme across other grounds maintenance operations. “We’ve seen a boost in employee morale, particularly the manual sweeper operatives who now feel empowered to maintain their patch more efficiently without the restriction of how far they can walk in a shift. Using their own knowledge and experience will allow them to travel to litter hotspots more frequently throughout the working day.” 

 

I’m wondering whether Blackpool, currently famed for its decorative ‘Blackpool Lights’ and the Tower Ballroom with its sea view and which features on Strictly Come Dancing, will one day be famed for its high-vis jacket-wearing street cleaning teams! I’m also keen to learn whether this increased productivity is constant throughout the day or whether it declines due to cycling fatigue...