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cargobike.jetzt: The big cargo bike turn with advisory board and new leadership
At a New Year reception, the Berlin mobility agency cargobike.jetzt announced its reorganization and simultaneously introduced a newly appointed advisory board. The founder and longtime managing director Arne Behrensen hands over the baton to co-managing director Martin Seißler and at the same time moves to the Network Future Bicycle, which strongly advocates the concerns and interests of the bicycle industry in political operation. The advisory board of the agency, founded in 2016, is intended to strengthen the work of the organization, which has now grown to twelve employees, and to provide advisory services. Members include the well-known author and mobility blogger Katja Diehl, who is currently enjoying success with her book "Auto-Korrektur - Mobilität für eine lebenswertere Welt" (Car Correction - Mobility for a More Livable World) and is fighting for a decisive transportation transition.
Additionally, the Bundestag member Swantje Michaelsen (Greens) is part of the advisory board. From the academic side, Dr. Tom Assmann from the Institute for Logistics and Material Flow Technology (ILM) at the University of Magdeburg provides advice. He is also chairman of the Bicycle Logistics Association Germany RLVD. From the trade media, VISIONmobility and LOGISTRA editor and initiator of the "Cargobike of the Year" award, Johannes Reichel, is also on the advisory board. Additionally, Behrensen himself remains on the advisory board with his expertise.
Taking the (Cargo) Bike Seriously
At the reception, cargobike.jetzt managing director Martin Seißler showed his conviction that the cargo bike, as a means of transport for both private and commercial use, still offers great potential and is just at the beginning of scaling. Strengthening the bicycle lobby is necessary to make politics less "car-centric." Seißler further appealed that politics must take the bike seriously.
Only the Climate Catastrophe Drives the Transportation Transition
Author Katja Diehl expressed her disappointment that it takes a climate catastrophe for the transportation transition to finally get underway. On the other hand, she sees numerous promising approaches for change, of which the cargo bike offers great potential in both private and commercial use. In many cases, a car could be completely replaced, making a "life without a personal car" possible. It is necessary, for climate and space reasons, to drastically reduce the enormous fleet of 49 million cars and 3.5 million trucks. However, one cannot "take everyone along," but must also make some unpleasant changes to the hopelessly car-centric status quo in her view.
She also pointed out the social aspects of cycling, through which people come into contact with each other more. However, she cautioned that for a real breakthrough, the right framework is needed, and finally, a reform of the car-centered road traffic regulations. Diehl called for giving municipalities more leeway to establish widespread 30 km/h zones.
The Key Lies in Road Traffic Law
Green Party MP Swantje Michaelsen also agreed, calling for a reform of traffic law and seeing it as a "hidden key" to transforming transportation. Currently, "safe, flowing traffic" is prioritized, but this needs to change quickly and more needs to happen, she urged, addressing Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP). She also supports the "Livable Cities" initiative, which calls for more freedom of action for municipalities, such as regarding speed limits. So far, municipalities are being halted. However, road traffic law is also the most important lever for increasing cycling. Here, the idea is to "think broader" about bicycles and utilize the possibilities that cargo bikes offer as a car replacement. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen by itself but only through enormous pressure and effort from the involved stakeholders.
The Triumph of the Car is Not a Success for the Environment
Tom Assmann also argued for a reform of the traffic regulations and the FGSV standards institution, which dates back to 1924. The triumph of the automobile is not a success story for the environment and quality of life in cities. Just as there are millions of cars and trucks today, there need to be millions of cargo bikes in the future, Assmann appealed, suggesting that the topic needs to be thought of on a larger scale and brought out of the niche. The goal is to replace every second commercial vehicle, Assmann estimated the potential.
Mobility Summit: Evidence of an Outdated Understanding
The managing director of the lobbying organization Zukunft Fahrrad, which Behrensen is now joining, Wasilis von Rauch, pointed out the necessity of political work for bicycles. The association is growing rapidly. The number of members has increased from 20 at its founding to 73 companies now. Among the members are service providers, manufacturers, digital start-ups, dealers, and suppliers from all over Germany, as well as from Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Estonia.
Recently, the association criticized that during the so-called "Mobility Summit" at the Chancellery, the rapidly growing and increasingly relevant bicycle industry was not invited. This reflects an "outdated understanding of mobility," they remarked.
“The transport sector is under pressure due to missed CO2 reduction targets. The need for action is urgent. Promoting cycling quickly takes effect and is cost-efficient. It is essential now to harness everything possible from bicycles. More than half of all everyday trips can be made by bicycle, and the savings potential is enormous. We can no longer afford the one-sided fiscal, economic, and transport policy focus on cars. Without us, there will be no transport transformation," appealed Wasilis von Rauch.
In protest, the organization founded in 2019 launched a campaign, offering advice to politically responsible parties in the ministries through a newspaper advertisement and a cargo bike tour. Symbolically, a campaign motif was handed over to the new managing director of cargobike.jetzt, Martin Seißler.
Translated automatically from German.
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