Tartu testing interest of city residents towards cargo bike service
Tartu City Government Press Release
19. jaanuar 2021 / On 20 January, the Tartu City Government will begin the Tartu Velorent pilot project, which will offer individuals and entrepreneurs the opportunity to use cargo bikes in organising their daily logistics and will examine the interest of residents of Tartu towards the cargo bike service.
During the pilot project, three different electric cargo bikes will be offered for rent, one intended only for freight transport, and two being suitable for transporting people. The maximum load capacity of the box on the cargo bike is 80 kg, boxes suitable for transporting people are equipped with seat belts.
According to Tartu Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm, cargo bikes are already quite popular in many European countries, but are still relatively uncommon Estonia. ‘Tartu has set the goal of increasing the proportion of environmentally sustainable modes of travel in urban traffic. One of the options is cargo bikes, with which you can bring home food stuffs from the store, take children to nursery school or arrange corporate logistics. We want to test the cargo bikes at different times of the year, which is why we are not afraid to start even during a rather cold and snowy winter. Year-round cyclists are growing increasingly common in Tartu and we have no reason to talk about cycling as a seasonal means of movement,’ added Tamm.
If individuals or entrepreneurs have an interest in getting involved in the cargo bike pilot project and testing the use of the cargo bike in their daily activities, please write to [email protected] or call 736-1266. Within the framework of the pilot project, the one-week charge for using the cargo bike is EUR 25.
The pilot project, which runs until the end of summer, awaits feedback from cargo bike users in order to jointly develop a user-friendly service. Based on user feedback, it will be possible in the future to increase the number and selection of bicycles. The City Government’s goal is not for the public sector to offer a cargo bike rental service; therefore, it would be most welcome if the private sector were to express an interest in providing such a service.
The rental of cargo bikes will be organised by Tartu Linnatransport, which has the necessary technical base and experience from organising the operation of Tartu Smart Bike Share.
Velorent has been implemented within the framework of the CyclUrban+ project, with the support of the European Climate Change Programme.
Additional information: Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm, tel: 736-1213, 515-4738; Jaanus Tamm, Project Manager in the Department of Communal Services, tel: 5850- 6742.
Viimati muudetud 19.01.2021