Published 6/11/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

Herefordshire Council has responded to questions raised by local transport campaigners regarding the whereabouts and ultimate allocation of 27 specialist electric cargo bikes purchased for nearly £88,000.

The Herefordshire Transport Alliance (HTA) highlighted concerns online after the Dutch-made Babboe e-cargo bikes, valued at over £3,000 each, appeared to vanish from public view.

The fleet was originally acquired in April 2021 under the previous administration using central government funding from the Accelerated Towns Fund, aimed at encouraging modal shifts away from single-occupancy car journeys across Hereford.

At the time of purchase, the council’s cabinet member for transport, Councillor John Harrington, stated the e-cargo bikes were intended for family school runs and daily commuting.

The initial plan outlined offering the cycles on free trials directly to local schools and parents, with options to help facilitate permanent purchases for interested families.

However, HTA representative Amanda Martin, herself a regular cargo bike cyclist in the city, noted that despite these public ambitions, the distinctive wooden-boxed bikes were rarely seen on Hereford streets, raising questions over whether the public investment had delivered on its goals.

esponding to claims that the bikes had been left in long-term storage at Three Elms, a spokesperson for Herefordshire Council confirmed that the £88,296 purchase was held there temporarily while administrative grant frameworks were being finalized.

Addressing the apparent shift from the original school-focused trial scheme, the council clarified that all 27 e-cargo bikes were ultimately distributed to local commercial enterprises rather than households. The authority confirmed that the business grant scheme was managed by its Delegated Grants Team, with an independent review panel assessing applications and allocating the entire fleet to local businesses.