Meals on Two Wheels: Cape Breton meal delivery company launches e-bike program

New Dawn Meals on Wheels in Cape Breton just launched an e-bike delivery program called "Meals on Two Wheels."

"For this program, we partnered with Velo Cape Breton to train our volunteers in bike safety so they felt confident on the roads delivering our meals to clients," explained Sara Roth, manager at New Dawn Meals on Wheels.

E-bikes are pictured in Cape Breton. (Darryl Reeves/CTV Atlantic)

The "Meals on Two Wheels" program is new to the Cape Breton delivery company and marks the first time the organization has made deliveries using active transportation.

"Up until this point, we delivered meals all through volunteer efforts and volunteers use their own personal gas-powered vehicles for delivery," said Roth.

"The partnership with Velo Cape Breton means that we're confident our volunteers have the safety training and the confidence to deliver meals to our clients safely, representing our program well and continuing to deliver meals and provide our service long into the future."

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Andrée Crépeau with Velo Cape Breton says it's not only the motorists' responsibility to ensure everyone is safe on the roads – a part of the training the Meals on Wheels delivery drivers recently received.

"What a cyclist has to remember is they have to be visible to the drivers surrounding them," said Crépeau. "So you always have to position yourself defensively and let the drivers know that you're there."

People are pictured driving e-bikes in Sydney, N.S. (Darryl Reeves/CTV Atlantic)

Const. Gary Fraser with the Cape Breton Regional Police says they just want everyone to remain safe and enjoy themselves during this upcoming bike season.

"The regional police just want you to enjoy the summer, enjoy the biking season, remember your safety rules, remember to share the road, and just have a great season," Fraser said.

A woman delivers food as part of the "Meals on Two Wheels" e-bike delivery program. (Darryl Reeves/CTV Atlantic)

New Dawn Meals on Wheels is a charitable, non-profit volunteer-driven organization committed to providing nutritious meals to people in the community.

Each year, the organization says it provides 20,000 hot meals to people who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.