Massive number of train passengers take the OV-fiets

The popularity of the OV-Fiets (Public Transport bicycle) knows no boundaries. I have written before about this nationwide shared bicycle rental system of the Netherlands’ Railways. It made headlines again in the Dutch newspapers recently because the one million bike rentals per year threshold will be passed this year*. OV-Fiets expects 1.1 million round-trips** for 2011, up from 835,000 in 2010. Another mile stone: the number of subscribers will pass the 100,000 mark this year. Up from 34,000 in 2008 when the Netherlands’ Railways took over OV-Fiets. Investigations bring to light that OV-Fiets subscribers travel more by train, “because they … Continue reading Massive number of train passengers take the OV-fiets

Bike share the Dutch way

On the “bike sharing world map” there is one strikingly blank country. You guessed it: the Netherlands. You could think that in a country of 16 million who possess 18 million bikes there would be no need for sharing bikes. But that would be wrong: the Dutch do share bikes and on a large scale. Since 2007 when Paris first started (after the example of Lyon), every self-respecting modern city seems to have bike share. Milan, Brussels, Bogota, London, Melbourne: some 200 cities worldwide. It is interesting that most of these schemes call itself ‘free’. Yes, the first half hour … Continue reading Bike share the Dutch way