I commuted 1.5 miles on a Batavus Personal Delivery bike for better than four years. It's a 50 lb 3 speed. I also ran errands and even rode the length of the C&O canal on it. My observations:

1. With enough patience I could ride it up very steep, long hills, but not fast. For routine long steeps I prefer more gears.
2. A big front basket and cargo straps made hauling very convenient.
3. It's simply too slow for longer distances unless ridden purely for novelty. Anything more than 5 miles and I would just take the touring bike instead.

I would recommend examining your intended radius of operation. If you don't need to go more than 5 miles I'd say give it a shot. If you have to go farther look at a touring bike with racks and panniers instead. You'll have to plan your loads more carefully but it's worth the time for longer distances.