London cleaners get on their bikes to clean Soho’s streets

12th of November 2021
Image: Westminster City Council

London's Westminster City Council is going green by introducing electric vehicles and deploying cleaners on bikes to clear up messy streets.

The cleaners' electric bikes are equipped with jet sprays and brooms and have wheelie bins attached to the back to accommodate rubbish. The bikes are part of a new 60-vehicle electric fleet being rolled out in London's West End.

The vehicles are said to reduce carbon emissions by 89 per cent compared with the previous diesel vehicles used by the council, and are also significantly quieter than traditional lorries. Speaking at the launch of the fleet, Veolia boss Gavin Graveson said: "These electric vehicles demonstrate our commitment to ecological transformation and working with our partner, Westminster City Council to lead the transition away from diesel power.

"By making this change we're cutting carbon, making the City cleaner and greener, and ensuring that the West End is at the forefront of innovation."

The amount of waste being produced in London's West End is nearing pre-pandemic levels with around 150 tonnes of rubbish needing to be collected every day. Some bins are filling up within 45 minutes, with Soho partygoers claimed to be responsible for some of the more unsavoury items having to be removed from the streets.

The new electric bikes will allow cleaners to respond swiftly when alerted to an emergency incident. They will then rush to the scene armed with an array of cleaning equipment and deal with the mess as quickly as possible.

The introduction of the fleet means that West End cleaning is now fully electric, with more electric cleaning vehicles due to be rolled out in London over the next 12 months.

 

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