Pedal and Post Collapse Sparks Chaos
Oxford Evri customers faced massive parcel delays after Pedal and Post, the courier giant’s e-cargo bike partner, suddenly shut up shop. The 14-year-old firm vanished without warning, leaving parcels stranded at depots across the city and causing a delivery nightmare.
Pedal and Post handled deliveries within Oxford’s Clean Air Zone using environmentally friendly e-cargo bikes. But after losing a major client earlier this year, the company was forced to cease trading entirely.
Sixty Jobs Lost as Pedal and Post Closes
Christopher Benton, CEO of Pedal and Post, confirmed about 60 workers—both employees and contractors—were left jobless after the shutdown. The firm also operated in London before its abrupt exit from the market.
Frustrated Customers Forced to Wait
Grandpont resident Carol Leonard was among those hit by the delays. Her specialist cat food and litter orders placed in late January were stuck at a depot.
“My parcels finally arrived on February 10, two weeks late. Evri apologised for the hold-up caused by Pedal and Post’s sudden collapse,” Leonard said.
Evri Scrambles to Regain Control
Evri swiftly restructured delivery operations after the disruption, but acknowledged the unexpected shutdown caused headaches. An Evri spokesperson said:
“We deliver over 900 million parcels annually with industry-leading on-time rates. We’ve quickly reorganised deliveries in Oxford and our local teams are working hard to resume normal service.”
Leonard’s parcel was eventually delivered after Evri intervened directly.
Environmental Ambitions vs. Business Reality
Benton told Zag Daily the company tried to balance green delivery methods with fair pay in a gig economy rife with self-employment:
“Lower operating costs from cargo bikes helped us pay better. But losing a key client was a blow we couldn’t recover from.”
Pedal and Post specialised in clean air zone-friendly deliveries, reducing emissions and congestion. Their collapse leaves a question mark over Oxford’s future use of e-cargo bikes.
What Next for Oxford Deliveries?
Evri hasn’t revealed whether it will partner with another e-cargo bike firm or switch to traditional delivery vehicles permanently. The courier giant is still working to restore delivery times to normal, but hasn’t set a clear deadline.
