33 Antwerp municipalities to install a major bicycle sharing network
33 different municipalities in Antwerp province want to create a major network for electric bicycles, to extend the present services in the centre of the capital city of Antwerp.
The Antwerp Alderman for Mobility, Koen Kennis, explains that 77 possible hubs have been selected in the Greater Antwerp area. These "strategic mobility spots" should become places where people can take an electric bike or leave one behind.
The hubs are situated near stations or park and rides, but also in town centres, says Kennis (Flemish nationalist). "People can use the bicycles to go to work, to school or to the shops, or just for their passtime."
The area concerned is the home of no fewer than 1,1 million people, and the population is expected to increase by 70,000 residents by 2030. Some 85,000 different companies boast over 500,000 jobs.
"The new network should solve the problem of a number of missing links at present, where people are almost obliged to take the car due to a lack of public transport services or bike sharing systems", explains Eline Peeters, the Mobility Alderwoman in Brecht, north of Antwerp. "We want to fill these gaps now with a network of electric bikes."
The system will include over 1,000 normal or electric bicycles.