How e-bikes will help staff at London business commute to work when public transit fails

Jess Eckerenjoys her job atPlay Away Indoor Park, but with her workplace located near the airportwhere bus service isn't reliable,commuting is challenging and costly.

"Sometimes during the winterthe weather is too rough to get to and from the bus stop, so then Irely on carpools or cabs, but it all adds up," Ecker said.

Ecker says her travel expenses range anywhere from$200 to $400 a month getting from her home in the city's east end to her job, located north of London International Airport.

To help Ecker and other employees, company owner Katie Singer found an innovative way to help make herstaff's commuteeasier, affordable, and environmentally sustainable through electric bikes.

Thebusiness is one of the recipients of a $20,000 Desjardins Goodspark grant tofund e-bikes for three full-timeemployees. The e-bikes are purchased from the London Bicycle Cafe.

Singer said many of her employees have to rely on taking public transit or cabs, both of which aren't easily accessible in the largely industrial area, so she decided to loan them the e-bikes.

"We don't have any bus service here on the weekends and during the week there's a 15 minute walk-away bus. So essentially people need to have a vehicle or have someone reliable to give them rides, or else they won't be able to get to work here," she said.

Better staff availability

Since Play Away first opened up in 2016, Singer said she's tried to set staff members up with ride shares and carpool options.

"People have used regular bikes in the past but then they get here, it's a long ways out andthey're tired so this [e-bike] hopefully make it so you have a little more energy when you come to work," Singer said.

For Ecker, having access to an e-bike would also increase heravailability to workmore shifts and allow her to do work-related pickups if needed, she said.

"I just feel like everyone needs a way to and from work, and that's not necessarily something they should have to worry about," Ecker said.

"We've been having a lot of problems around the world with climate change andwe're very eco-friendly here, so looking for an environmentally friendly way to get to work and back helps everyone."

Thegrant'scriteria included: sustainable development, employment, innovation, and community impact. Its fundswill cover three e-bikes, secure locks, pannier bags to carry items, legal loan agreements, and insurance.

Singer says she believes this will also help with employee retention,and that she's excited to see e-bikes make a greater impact in the the London area.

"It'll definitely save us all a lot of money on the weekends and help a lot of our staff members getto and from work, so we're all very happy to have them," Ecker said.