His bike and trailer slip into the open gate that leads to the Urban Quartz building near the station, after easily making their way through the works. François puts his bike down two meters from the nursery he has to deliver and opens his trailer where the meals he has to deliver are. Here, his delivery “vehicle” does not bother anyone. No need to put a warning or obstruct traffic by sticking in double file. “We hear a lot about traffic jams and roadworks in Rennes. But we are not really affected. We make our way everywhere, ”slips the employee of Toutenvélo. To reach the other crèche he must deliver, François Dupont will cut through the Colombier slab, slaloming between the shops at low speed. He crosses paths with two of his colleagues, busy loading an old mattress and the remains of a sofa bed on their trailer. “We intervene on a daily basis to remove bulky items. Sofas or furniture, which are left in the street. It still represents a tonne per day, ”continues François Dupont.
This daily tonne is evacuated by bicycle, thanks to trailers capable of carrying more than 300 kg. This is eloquent proof of the model that Toutenvélo has championed since its creation in 2009. “At first, we were taken for fun! Fortunately, mentalities have changed a lot. Many people have understood that cycling is a real solution, especially in the face of the saturation of city centers like Rennes. We want to show that there are no limits ”, testifies Gildas Neau, delivery man but also manager of the Rennes branch. Six years ago, this former truck driver returned the keys to his truck to get on a two-wheeler, won over by the social and solidarity economy project. Every day, he sees eight to ten pallets pass through the small 80 m² room where the ten delivery drivers’ bicycles are stored. A real argument for preserving the land so prized by the large logistics platforms.
Founded in 2009 in the Breton capital, the Toutenvélo network has grown over the years and includes seven other entities located in Caen, Rouen, Marseille and even Grenoble. Organized as a cooperative production company (SCOP), each office offers salaried status to its deliverers, who quickly become partners and participate in the decision-making of the company. A stable situation that contrasts with the precariousness of most bicycle deliverers, often self-employed and exploited by large home meal delivery platforms. “The job of delivery man is difficult, physical. Sometimes you get called a modern slave because you pedal. It’s still a manual job, it’s true. But with us, turnover is very low, because we have chosen to give employees a voice, ”argues Olivier Girault, one of the co-founders of the network.
A few days ago, the cooperative society of collective interest (SCIC) which oversees the Toutenvélo network received the national prize for the Social and Solidarity Economy in the Ecological Transition category. A reward that salutes the boldness of its founders, who preferred a cooperative rather than a capitalist status. “Our system is environmentally and societally virtuous. It helps to appease the city centers. But it is also competitive, ”assures Olivier Girault. Winner of its award, the company has launched a call for applications to expand its network. Five to eight new SCOPs should be created in 2022.
Diesel banned in 2030
A pioneer, the Rennes company today faces increased competition in a booming sector. In the city center of Rennes, the Toutenvélo and Triporteurs Rennais trailers have since been joined by large players such as Urby, a subsidiary of La Poste, encouraged by the emergence of the electric bicycle. France now has 130 cyclo-logistics entities, 70% of which have developed over the past five years. As Christmas approaches and the number of packages to be delivered explodes, the market continues to grow. It’s time. In Rennes, diesel vehicles will no longer be able to deliver in 2030. A charter of best practices was signed in June by many players in transport and urban logistics to meet this challenge.