Micro depot for cargo bikes starts operating in Hamburg

30 November 2022

Apcoa Urban Hubs scales up cargo bike deliveries after end of pilot phase

APCOA Parking AG has begun operating a depot for parcel delivery services in downtown Hamburg after tests during a two-year pilot project proved successful, a press release said Thursday (November 24, 2022). Hamburger Hochbahn AG (Hochbahn) had made a micro depot in Burchardstraße available to service providers such as Hermes, UPS and Deutsche Post as part of the Reallabor Hamburg (RealLabHH) project. More than 300,000 shipments were handled during tests of last-mile deliveries by cargo bike, Hochbahn said. The new depot is part of the Stuttgart-based APCOA’s Urban Hub Services which acts as a trans-shipment point with parking spaces for logistics companies and delivery services.

Pilot project to lead to less pollution

Henrik Falk, CEO of Hochbahn, remarked: "The micro depot is a really good example of a successful test. We are creating the opportunity for trial operations and are passing the baton onto a private operator after kick-starting the project. It will c lower pollution in the city centre in the long term." Niels Christ, Director of APCOA's Urban Hubs, noted: "We are a leader of smart space infrastructure and are now integrating Hochbahn's successful concept into our infrastructure in Hamburg. The Apcoa Urban Hubs will be further developed during regular operations." The concept is fundamental to smart cities in future.

APCOA taking over micro depot from Reallabor Hamburg

The micro depot was opened as part of the RealLabHH research project for practical tests of digital mobility. The initiative goes back to the National Platform Future of Mobility and was funded by the German Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport. Around 32 companies and research institutions in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region were involved in the project, co-ordinated by Hochbahn, from April 2020 to December 2021. APCOA operates car parks in over 80 cities and now plans to expand its range of uses.
nj/sb/pb