Pedal and Post Shutdown Sparks Parcel Chaos in Oxford
Oxford parcel deliveries hit the skids as Pedal and Post, the city’s eco-friendly e-cargo bike courier, suddenly shut down without warning. The 14-year-old firm’s collapse left parcels piled up at depots, sparking a delivery disaster for Evri customers.
Sixty Jobs Lost in Sudden Courier Collapse
Christopher Benton, Pedal and Post’s CEO, confirmed about 60 staff and contractors were left jobless after the firm’s unexpected closure. Once operating in both Oxford and London, Pedal and Post folded after losing a major client earlier this year.
Frustrated Customers Stuck Waiting for Parcels
Local resident Carol Leonard was left fuming as her specialist cat food orders sat stranded for weeks.
“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 Fix Delivery Fiasco
Evri moved fast to reshuffle deliveries in Oxford but admitted the shock shutdown caused a headache. A 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.”
Thanks to Evri’s intervention, Leonard’s parcels finally made their way to her door.
Green Delivery Dream Undone by Business Reality
Benton told Zag Daily Pedal and Post tried to balance eco-friendly e-cargo bikes with better pay in a tough gig economy. He said:
“Lower operating costs from cargo bikes helped us pay better. But losing a key client was a blow we couldn’t recover from.”
The closure casts doubt over Oxford’s clean air ambitions and the future of e-cargo bike deliveries in the city.
What’s Next for Oxford’s Deliveries?
Evri has yet to say if it will bring on a new e-cargo bike partner or revert to traditional vans. The delivery giant is still battling to get parcel times back on track but hasn’t set a date for full recovery.
