Amsterdam municipality: construction workers can switch to a Birò, cargo bike or electric scooter
From van to scooter
We wrote about it earlier this year: professionals are avoiding Amsterdam en masse. There’s nowhere to park your bus, you’re constantly stuck in traffic, parking costs are skyrocketing, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations are also making working in the city increasingly complicated and expensive. The result? Amsterdam residents are stuck with leaks, broken windows and other inconveniences for longer.
The solution!
The City of Amsterdam and Mobian – a mobility provider – have come up with a solution for companies that do not yet have an electric bus but need to get into the center of Amsterdam. They can park their vehicles on the outskirts of the city and switch to an emission-free mode of transportation. A noble idea, although there is something to be said about its feasibility. After all, the zero-emission means of transportation in question are Biròs, cargo bikes and electric scooters. While a Birò is a charming little cart for short city trips, one wonders how a plumber gets his toolbox, three rolls of PVC pipe and a sink crammed into such a mini-car.
Costs and subsidies: the arithmetic
Using a Birò or other shared vehicle is not free. Entrepreneurs pay a rental fee per day (35 bucks for an e-scooter), but subsidies are available to keep costs down. According to the City of Amsterdam, Park + Switch targets companies such as painters, installers and cleaners. The question is whether their tools will fit in a Birò.
Testing year: what will it accomplish?
The pilot runs for a year and should show whether Park + Switch is a keeper. Councilwoman Melanie van der Horst acknowledges that it takes some getting used to at first: “Yes, it takes extra handling. But it also offers a solution to parking pressure and high costs in the downtown area.”
One glazier dryly commented to NOS that transporting a large window in a cargo bike “may not be the best choice.” And if a job in Amsterdam suddenly becomes twice as expensive due to extra transfer hassles, then the choice for a job in Zaandam is quickly made.
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Also see: 1,000 KM in an Opel Rocks Electric – FINAL endurance test – AutoRAI TV