The first PPL electric bikes hit the streets from their base at the bike depot in the Florenc district of Prague last autumn.
“We are very pleased that after a pilot test phase, this method of delivering parcels has proven to be successful. Apart from being environmentally friendly and promoting our green footprint, this method of delivery is an effective solution to the problems often encountered by logistics in big cities – these being high traffic density, parking restrictions, or problems delivering parcels to locations which are inaccessible due to roadworks,” says Petr Horák, CEO of PPL.
Apart from Prague, PPL cycle couriers can also be seen on electric bikes in Brno, Olomouc, Hradec Králové, and now also in Liberec. They will soon also be used in České Budějovice. We plan to further increase the number of electric bikes and locations with this method of delivery in city centres across the Czech Republic. In 2021, several hundred thousand packages will be delivered in this way.
Starting this summer, PPL will also be one of the forwarding partners of the planned new Prague urban cycle depot, this time in Prague 5 - Anděl. “In particular for big cities, use of electric bikes is a huge step towards ensuring a sustainable city. We feel that with these steps, we are helping to take the load off public space, help reduce traffic congestion, reduce emissions and noise, and also contribute towards the quality of life of people living in the city,” adds Horák.
Support for ecology, development of electromobility and green logistics is an important part of corporate strategy in PPL. PPL currently has ten vehicles in operation which run on alternative fuel in cooperation with its forwarders. Other than electric cars, this also concerns cars running on CNG.
PPL’s long-term vision is to contribute towards reduction of the carbon footprint, but also to promote environmentally friendly practices in various areas of its operations.
“We are planning extensive investment and development in the field of electromobility in the years to come. Among other things, we are planning a programme to motivate our carriers to purchase electric vehicles and other environmentally focused programmes. The lorries connecting our distribution network meet the strictest EURO 6 limits and we are focusing on further energy savings in our buildings. Apart from investing in environmentally friendly solutions for our infrastructure, we are also focusing on digitisation of our processes, this being something which contributes significantly towards our green strategy. This is also one of the reasons why transport documentation was the first area we chose to digitise, saving millions of sheets of printed paper every year. We care about the future of the Czech Republic and the quality of life which future generations can look forward to. These are the first steps which determine what the world will look like in a few years’ time and we are part of this change.” says Petr Horák in conclusion.
What might be of interest
He started by printing labels in his father's company. I never thought I'd be running PPL one day, he says
Petr Horák started by printing labels at PPL, which was founded by his father and later sold. Today, he has been running one of the largest mail-order companies in the country for five years.