High Gasoline Prices Help Bicycles Gain Ground In The Netherlands and World
by Alix Rijckaert
THE HAGUE, Sept 7, 2008 (AFP) - The Dutch rely ever more on the humble bike
for transport as pollution concerns and high petrol prices give new impetus to
traditional pedal power in the only country with more bicycles than people.
The average Dutchman cycled 902 kilometres in 2006, up 16 kilometres from
15 years ago, according to official statistics.
Annual new bike sales rose by 80,000 in 2007 to 1.4 million as the Dutch,
known for their thrift and pragmatism, shunned the comfort of gas-guzzling
cars for the cheaper, greener alternative in a year marked by record oil
prices.
“Bicycle manufacturers can look back on two successful years,” states a
report by Statistics Netherlands.
“In 2006, turnover increased by no less than 15 percent relative to 2005.
In 2007, a nine percent turnover growth was realized.”
The spike was caused by higher sales figures, says the report, as prices
have remained “fairly stable.”
The flat-landscaped Netherlands, home to just over 16.3 million people,
actually boasts some 18 million bicycles — a ratio of 0.9 persons per cycle,
or 1.1 bikes per person.
Its closest European competitors are Denmark and Germany, with respective
figures of 1.2 and 1.3 citizens for each bike.
Hugo van der Steenhoven, head of the Cyclists’ Union, said concern over
pollution, oil prices and healthy living all contributed to the national rise
in bicycle use.
“People are realizing that they can truly make a difference and pollute
less,” he told AFP.
“A recent study showed that once the oil price reaches 100 dollars a
barrel, 10 percent of car drivers opt to use their bicycles more.”
Being in good health was becoming increasingly important, and people were
more committed to regular exercise, added Van der Steenhoven.
Not even the wet climate seems able to put a spoke in the wheels of the
Dutch, who weave through city traffic shrouded in plastic on rainy days,
transporting anything from pets and children to groceries, musical instruments
and plants on their bikes.
Many a parent can be seen negotiating traffic with a child secured to each
end of a bicycle with shopping bags and even a briefcase secured to the sides.
With traffic jams a major irritation, the Dutch cycled a combined 14.7
billion kilometres in 2006, compared to 22 billion kilometres travelled by
public transport and 95.8 billion kilometres behind the wheel of a car.
Forty-six percent of bicycle use was for commuting between home, work and
school, 40 percent recreational and 14 percent for other purposes like
shopping, according to the RAI association of road transport manufacturers.
The bicycle has also become something of a fashion statement for the
upwardly mobile, as illustrated by the growing popularity of the “bakfiets,” a
two-wheeler with a large cart attached to the front and selling at 1,400 euros
(2,000 dollars) apiece.
“When we started six years ago, we sold about three a week,” said Jan
Rijkeboer, head of manufacturer Azor, which produces the “bakfiets” — big
enough to transport two or three small children.
“Now, we sell thousands per year… and we export a container full to the
United States every three months.”
The average client was a young parent in the upper-middle income range.
“For some it is a display of wealth, but some, like my single-mother
clients, don’t have a choice — it is still cheaper than a car,” said
Rijkeboer.
The traditional city bike on which the cyclist sits high and straight,
still represents two-thirds of new purchases.
But sales of the electric bicycle, which has a small motor to relieve the
need for pedaling, have been taking off in recent months.
“The models are becoming more attractive and the technology better…
people wish to avoid traffic jams and save petrol,” said the RAI. “Travelling
a distance of 10 kilometres to work seems less scary with the electric bike.”
The issue is becoming political, too, with an MP for the Christian
Democratic party, Joop Atsma, set to propose to parliament this month a
lowering of VAT on new bicycle purchases from 19 percent to six percent.
“Nothing is greener than the bicycle,” he told AFP. “But politics doesn’t
care about that. It is a lost opportunity.”
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