The wheelbarrow-bike that could be the solution to school-run traffic jams

It looks like a wheelbarrow attached to a bike - but transport experts believe it could be the solution to school-run traffic.

Families in Richmond are being asked to swap their 4x4s for a more environmentally friendly mode of transport: Dutch cargo bikes.



Each costs from £1,150 and can carry a rider and up to three young children, or the weekly family shop. The "wheelbarrow" section is fitted with seatbelts for children.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said cargo bikes looked no more dangerous than other bicycles, but added: 'It will handle differently from a normal one so people should get training or practice first in a safe environment.'