26 June, Velo-city, Dublin – Leading European Bike Share Operators and Suppliers - Donkey Republic, Mobike, Moventia, nextbike, PBSC, Ride on, Smoove and Jump by Uber - have joined forces to form an Expert Group under Cycling Industries Europe, a newly established trade association for the cycling sector headquartered in Brussels. Providing bike share services in more than 300 cities with 63 million rides in 2018 in Europe the Expert Group forms a powerful advocacy for the sector. The bike share sector is expected to grow from the current 3-5 vehicles per 1000 residents in major European cities to 10-20 vehicles per 1000 residents in the next five years representing a growth of 20-30% per year.
As a pivotal solution to some of the most pressing issues facing our cities today - including traffic congestion, air pollution, climate change, health, affordability and public spaces invaded by cars - cycling plays a central role in transforming the urban mobility sector. Globally, transport is the fastest growing contributor to greenhouse gases and already accounts for 25% of all CO2 emissions. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution is the biggest transport-related threat to public health, with more than 500 000 people dying prematurely every year in Europe; followed by insufficient physical activity and noise pollution.
Sebastian Schlebusch, Chair of Bike Sharing Expert Group and Director of International Business Development at nextbike: “I am very pleased to start our collaboration and form a leadership group for the bike sharing sector in Europe. Together we represent the leading investors in our industry, creating innovative transport solutions and thousands of green, sustainable jobs. We look forward to working with cities and policy makers to support them in the rapidly changing active mobility landscape.”
Lauha Fried, Policy Director at Cycling Industries Europe: “Our ambition is to make sure that cycling and bike share gets its rightful place on Europe’s mobility agenda. We will start our work by pulling together our expertise, conducting research and collecting key data of the sector along with best practise sharing. We can then use this intelligence for driving the sector forward and providing cities with the best urban mobility solutions.”
The bicycle has been a simple, but incredibly fun, efficient, and healthy mode of transport for over a century. With bike share and new electric-assist motors, dockless sharing technology available on a platform of multi-modal mobility options, the value that bicycles bring to people, cities, and the world is still growing.
Urban mobility is going through a modal shift from cars into bikes - an increasing number of cities from Barcelona and Madrid to London, Hamburg and Helsinki are introducing full or partial ban on cars making cities more liveable, healthy and sustainable.
NOTE TO EDITORS
About Cycling Industries Europe
Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) is the voice of cycling business in Europe. Cycling Industries Europe brings together leading companies and experts from across the globe representing the entire supply chain from bicycle and parts makers to bike sharing, cycle logistics, online services, financial services infrastructure, tourism and consultancy. For more information see www.cyclingindustries.com.
For more information, please contact:
Lauha Fried
Policy Director, Cycling Industries Europe
L.Fried(at)cyclingindustries.com
Mobile: +32 477 364 251
26 Jun 2019