Zug,22.07.2016

Leave your car at home and use an e-bike free of charge

The myblueplanet climate protection group is trying to persuade drivers to leave their car at home for two weeks and use an e-bike instead, at no charge at all.
 
This is the second year running that the organisation’s national bike4car project is taking place in order to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Both the city of Zug and Cham are taking part in the scheme, which is being supported by the Energie Schweiz organisation, the Stromer e-bike manufacturer and distributor, Bike Innovation and Coop Bau+Hobby.
 
Both the city of Zug and Cham have been awarded Energy Town status, indeed at Gold level in the case of Cham. It is here where Manuela Hotz is responsible for such environmental projects. She mentioned how the organisers wanted to promote environmentally-friendly forms of transport which is why Cham was joining in with 50 other Swiss municipalities across the country in this scheme.
 
Urs Raschle, who is responsible for environmental matters on Zug council, agreed it was a good idea to promote the use of more environmentally-friendly forms of transport in this way, not least because there was a certain fun element in trying out e-bikes, too.
 
The city will be enjoying the cooperation with the Bike Innovation company of number 15c Letzistrasse, who will also be making some cargo-bikes available. These are being primarily targeted at courier and delivery services who, with this form of transport, can go about their business quickly and without being caught up in traffic jams. They would also come in useful for families to help in transporting dogs, shopping and children. Apparently more and more parents prefer to keep an eye on their offspring by having them in front of them rather than towing them behind.
 
Indeed, Raschle himself has tried out one of these cargo bikes and, once he got used to it, he found it most practical in taking stuff around.
 
In Cham, more normal e-bikes are being made available at Coop Bau+Hobby, where Nadja Ruch, the company’s spokeswoman, said that 28 models would be available. “There is much demand for them in Cham,” she said. “Much more than last year.” Surprisingly, only rarely are they returned damaged in some way. “We notice a bit of wear and tear,” she said, “And last year one person dropped a battery, but that is all.” These used models are subsequently sold off at a reduced price.
 
Karin Witschi, who is responsible for the national bike4you campaign, said how more people had been participating in the scheme this year, particularly in western Switzerland, with lots of other municipalities like the city of Zug and Cham, which enjoy Energy City status, taking part.
 
Once it is over in two weeks’ time, those who took part will be asked to say how they fared with the e-bikes. “What is encouraging is that we have noticed how people become more aware about all matters relating to moving around, making them stop and think about how they go about it and what the whole purpose of our campaign is,” she said.
 
The photograph shows Foormuli Zabihulla of Coop Bau+Hobby preparing e-bikes for the scheme.