Institute of Couriers chairman Carl Lomas paid five shillings to enter Guildhall yard, enacting the obligation placed on carters, Carl chose the classic Honda CX500 courier bike as his cart for the ceremony of Carmen. Sam Clarke, Gnewt, paid a further five shillings for Caitland, the Carmen apprentice of past master Lt Colonel Paul Holder to step into the future and ride across Guildhall Yard on a prototype, zero emission electric cargo trike.
The two courier final mile solutions separated by almost four decades were cart branded with the letter ‘Y’ for 2016, the Y mark displaying the right to ply for trade hire in the City
The cartmarking event is without doubt the most ceremonial transport event of the year and saw a bumper turnout of fellows and members. IOC president Viscount, Lord Falkland and Carl Lomas were there with Hon fellows Sir Peter Hendy and Mike Brown. Talk focused on LoCity, Sir Peter running a Euro six engine in a traditional Routemaster for his personal entry to Cartmarking. Fellows gathered from across the UK. Apprenticeship Trailblazer chairman Justin Moore was there, ‘As retail shifts from high street to home delivery today's courier has never been so busy, The Institute of Couriers is working towards a host of new qualifications from express trailblazers to apprenticeship degrees and qualifications with government in the form of the new trailblazer for BIS. LEPs from the Golden triangle were at the centre of discussions on strategy for the future.’
As top brass mulled the solutions to strategy it was the classic Honda CX500 courier bike that took centre stage of the ceremony of transport. It was fully loaded with panniers and top box of the eighties & attached to the modern day with a CitySprint cycle courier bag over the shoulders of Carl Lomas IOC Chairman; Carl comments on the courier bike, ‘The CX was an iconic machine of the eighties working courier, shaft drive reliability with water cooling and frame strength to carry a great deal of pannier luggage.’
Directly behind the CX came a prototype trike the next generation, apprentice Carmen Caitland rode and drove the Gnewt electric trike solution to zero emission, TfL boss Mike Brown had smiles from ear to ear as the zero emission twist-and-go trike had large load space, reverse gear and a DVLA number plate, ‘A commercial vehicle legal and registered, the next generation.’ The Gnewt trike carried the logo of DX in its operational role, zero emission, zero noise and road legal.
Zero emission - IOC fellow Sam Clarke Gnewt with Carmen apprentice Caitland and Alderman Sir David Wootton, IOD City President and former Lord Mayor.
Talking trucks and two wheels, IOC Chair Carl Lomas with D2N2 Simon Nelson, Nelson distribution. Ian Beattie, Knights of Old boss, Rob Scott GLH and Lord Falkland
IOC fellow Sean McGrae Tarmac explained truck cycle avoidance systems for City traffic to Lord Falkland and Carl Lomas.
IOC sec Tracey Worth with Army, Royal logistics Corps top Brass and Lord Falkland to talk express and BFPO army post office.
IOC Hon Fellow, network rail chairman, Sir Peter Hendy fitted a Euro six engine to his Routemaster for clean air passenger transport.
Carmen apprentice, Caitland in ceremonial dress for zero emission express deliveries in Guildhall yard.
