Oxford, Feb 13, 2026, 14:28 GMT
- Evri has reorganised deliveries in Oxford after its cargo-bike partner Pedal & Post stopped trading without notice.
- Customers reported parcels stuck at depots, with some deliveries taking more than a week to arrive.
- Pedal & Post’s chief executive said about 60 staff and contractors lost their jobs after the closure.
Evri has resumed normal delivery service in Oxford after disruption caused by the sudden shutdown of its cargo-bike partner Pedal & Post, trade publication Motor Transport reported. The outlet noted the collapse follows earlier strain in the sector, after cargo-bike operator Zedify called in administrators last year citing low volumes and high operating costs. (Motor Transport)
The episode matters because big couriers are leaning on local operators to solve the “last mile” — the final leg from depot to doorstep — especially in city centres where rules and congestion make van routes harder and pricier. When a small contractor disappears overnight, parcels can sit where they land.
It also lands at an awkward time for low-emission logistics. Cargo bikes, often electric-assist and built to carry loads that would otherwise go in a van, have become a workaround for tighter urban limits. The business case still looks thin in places.
Pedal & Post, which carried out deliveries for Evri within Oxford’s Clean Air Zone, said it was “ceasing trading without notice”, GB News reported. Evri said parcels were left stranded at depots and the company moved quickly to reroute work locally, adding that it delivers more than 900 million parcels a year and had “quickly re-organised deliveries” in the area. (GB News)
The disruption surfaced publicly after Oxford resident Carol Leonard reported several parcels marked “out for delivery” did not arrive, The Sun reported. The paper said items ordered on Jan. 29 and Jan. 31 were eventually delivered on Feb. 10 after more than a week of delays. (The Sun)
Pedal & Post had operated for 14 years and shut its Oxford and London sites after losing a major client earlier this year, according to Zag Daily. Chief executive Christopher Benton said the workforce of around 60 — a mix of employed and self-employed couriers — had been made redundant, adding: “Trying to be an ethical employer in a primarily self-employed industry is difficult.” (Zag Daily)
Evri competes with Royal Mail, DPD and Yodel in a crowded UK parcel market where speed is a selling point and missed deliveries get loud fast. Outsourcing parts of the network is normal; the weak spot is when the outsourced bit is the only route into a restricted city centre.
The two firms’ Oxford link was not new. Evri and Pedal & Post announced a partnership in January 2024 to serve Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone — a central area designed to curb tailpipe pollution — using EAV cargo bikes, with plans to deliver up to 600 parcels a day initially and more during peak periods. (Greenfleet)
The risk now is less about one city and more about the model. Benton said small operators can be exposed when they rely on a handful of big clients; one contract ends, and the runway disappears. For larger couriers, the question is how quickly they can replace specialist, low-emission capacity without breaking service promises.
Evri has not said whether it will replace Pedal & Post with another cargo-bike firm in Oxford or shift more work back to vans and subcontractors longer term. Either way, customers will judge the fix in hours and days, not press statements.
