The council has approached People Powered Community Interest Company to start the pilot project this month (April) and will see the company delivering internal mail runs between council sites across the island.

Cllr Phil Jordan, cabinet lead for infrastructure and transport, said: ‘We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and, as we could see the benefit of using e-cargo bikes for the shorter, internal mail runs within the council, we have decided to implement a trial to see how beneficial this could be in delivering not only our mail but our net carbon aims.

‘E-cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular for “last mile” deliveries, especially in cities, and this pilot will allow us to evaluate the opportunities these offer the council by replacing the post room fuel driven vehicles and, in turn, reducing harmful emissions.’

People Powered CIC director, Matthew Whittaker, said: ‘People Powered CIC are delighted to be working with Isle of Wight Council to look at ways in which the CO2 emissions from their fleet can be reduced further, in a cost effective manner.

‘This is a key part of the Electric Cargo Bike Delivery Demonstration we're delivering with Wight Community Energy with funding from Power to Change and the Rural Community Energy Fund.’

The move follows a successful two-month pilot project last summer which saw electric cargo bikes delivering goods on behalf of Cowes businesses and was also run by People Powered CIC, with funding from the council’s Sustainable Transport Access Fund from the Department of Transport.