The idea
Fountain Fleet is a pioneering school transport initiative using electrically assisted cargo bikes to help families in Hammersmith, Fulham and Barnes. Tailored for busy households, the service provides pre-arranged school pick-ups and drop-offs for primary school children, offering a practical solution to fragmented childcare. Focused on safeguarding, rides are conducted by trained, DBS-checked staff, ensuring a secure and dependable experience. By replacing car journeys, Fountain Fleet improves air quality, promotes sustainability, and supports neighbourhood health. The service is designed to empower parents, especially mothers, to reclaim time for work and financial independence. Fountain Fleet represents community-focused infrastructure, combining convenience, safety and environmental care to transform the daily school run into an opportunity for growth and positive change.
What we'll deliver
- Purchase two electrically assisted cargo bikes, fully equipped for safe child transport
- Deliver pre-arranged school collections and drop-offs across 2–3 primary schools in Hammersmith, Fulham and Barnes
- Establish FountainFleet as a running community transport service, open to local families
Why it's a great idea
Fountain Fleet removes one of the biggest barriers to employment for mothers and working parents - the school run. By providing reliable, pre-arranged collections and drop-offs, we help families return to work, increase hours and build financial independence. For children, every journey is safe, consistent and staffed by trained, DBS-checked riders - giving families confidence and routine in place of stressful, fragmented childcare. For the local community, FountainFleet creates local employment, strengthens neighbourhood connections and builds a more cohesive, caring place to live. For the environment, every cargo bike journey replaces a short car trip - improving air quality and supporting the borough's active travel ambitions. Practical, people-first community infrastructure that tackles inequality and delivers lasting change.
Steps to get it done
- 75 working mothers freed from the daily school run, enabling them to return to or remain in full employment.
- Two cargo bikes running daily on less than 1kWh each - a fraction of the energy of a single car journey.
- 6,240 school runs completed annually - giving working mothers back over 200 hours of lost time each year
