There is an app for everything. A visit to Rotterdam has opened my eyes to the potential of cycling via an app.
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Cycling via an app
I live in the Achterhoek and in terms of new tech people are a bit behind. For example, I can’t order Uber or have my groceries delivered through Gorillas. Even paying via a wearable at the local farmer’s shop can still be surprised.
When I recently spent a few days in Rotterdam, the possibilities were endless. Due to the overwhelming offer on Thuisbezorgd, it is impossible to make a choice and you almost stumble over the shared scooters that you can pick up with an app. But I am most enthusiastic about something very Dutch: the bicycle.
Orange bicycles from Donkey Republic (not sponsored) can be found throughout the city. There are also other bicycle providers in the city, such as Lime Jump and Viamoo, but the offer of the orange donkey was hard to beat in Rotterdam. They are normal bikes that you pick up with an app.
Riding on PeggyYou look in the app where the nearest bike is placed. In the center of Rotterdam there are a few on practically every street corner. All these bikes have their own name. For example, I rode Peggy for a while and later on Uranus. You unlock the lock with the app and you start cycling. When you’re done, find the nearest drop-off point (again, practically on every street corner), close the lock, and finish your session.
Although I was a bit worried about the brakes of a bike that I had only known for a few minutes, quickly descending from the Erasmus Bridge, it all went very well. With Peggy between my legs, there was nothing to worry about. And a single ride only cost 1.70 euros.
Such a concept fits perfectly in a cycling country like the Netherlands and especially in busy cities, where not everyone has their own bicycle or people (like me ) just to visit. But I think the shared bike can be a success in many more places. And I don’t mean an OV-fiets, where you have to pay no less than 10 euros if you hand it in at a different place than you pick it up.
Old-fashionedAt the moment there are only orange bicycles in Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. There are also some lost bicycles at Hoek van Holland, presumably from people who no longer had the energy to cycle back.
The bike feels a bit boring and old-fashioned compared to shared scooters or the shared scooters (which are unfortunately not yet allowed in the Netherlands), but it suits the city much better. Shared scooters quickly get in the way. They are clumsy, are placed on the sidewalk and then people in wheelchairs can no longer pass.
The big advantage of shared bicycles is that the bicycle sheds already exist and each bicycle shed can become a return point. That is why I fervently hope for the growth of the shared bicycle instead of the shared scooter. It’s a bit less sexy, but if it’s possible somewhere, it’s in the Netherlands.
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At the moment there are only orange bicycles in Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. There are also some lost bicycles at Hoek van Holland, presumably from people who no longer had the energy to cycle back.
The bike feels a bit boring and old-fashioned compared to shared scooters or the shared scooters (which are unfortunately not yet allowed in the Netherlands), but it suits the city much better. Shared scooters quickly get in the way. They are clumsy, are placed on the sidewalk and then people in wheelchairs can no longer pass.
The big advantage of shared bicycles is that the bicycle sheds already exist and each bicycle shed can become a return point. That is why I fervently hope for the growth of the shared bicycle instead of the shared scooter. It’s a bit less sexy, but if it’s possible somewhere, it’s in the Netherlands.
More columns
Column: You probably don’t need a smartwatch (Sept 11) Column: Even if you play Candy Crush you are a gamer (September 4) Column: I get calls every day from England (Aug 28) Column: Don’t trust qr codes too much (Aug 21) Column: When you call through the speaker of the smartphone in your hand (Aug 14) (Jul 31) Column: Why more social apps need dislikes (24 Jul) Column: You don’t share those kinds of videos via WhatsApp (July 17)
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