As part of the support measures for the corona exit strategy, the Brussels government has given the go-ahead for a social bicycle rental project. The aim is to help 400 underprivileged people quickly get into the saddle.

The Brussels-Capital Region wants to improve the mobility of vulnerable Brussels residents by giving them access to the bicycle as an urban means of transport. Cycling is an efficient means of emancipation: it is inexpensive, allows for quick journeys, offers independence for journeys to work or a training center or to maintain social contacts and at the same time ensures better health. This measure is also perfectly in line with the GoodMove regional mobility plan and the target of doubling the modal share of bicycle trips by 2025.  

Elke Van den Brandt, Minister of Mobility: “With the social bicycle rental and training courses to learn how to cycle in the city and to maintain a bicycle, we want to give less privileged Brussels residents who want to get on their bike a little push”.

This project is a good example of collaboration between three Brussels bicycle non-profit organizations: Cyclo, Pro Vélo and the 'Ateliers de la rue Voot'. With the support of Brussels Mobility, these three associations will work together to repair 400 second-hand bicycles and provide them with suitable lighting and anti-theft facilities. The bicycles will be made available to Brussels organizations working with vulnerable groups, such as integration centers, community health centers, literacy centers, emancipation centers, public social welfare centers, etc.

Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt handed over the first twenty bicycles on Monday through the literacy association Collective Alpha. This is a first test before this project is rolled out on a larger scale with more partners from the social sector in early 2021. The social organizations will select, within their target groups, the people who can benefit from the project and determine the modalities within which the beneficiaries can use the bicycle.

For this first group of 20 people, the bicycle will be made available free of charge for one year. Guidance is also provided to learn how to cycle in the city and the basics of bicycle maintenance (flat tire, brake tension, lubrication ...) are taught. This training is important to guide novice cyclists and to stimulate the modal transfer. Previous experiences of Pro Velo have shown that 80% of the people who followed such training actually continued to cycle. Based on the initial feedback Brussels Mobility, the cycling associations and the partners from the social sector will agree on the final arrangement in early 2021.

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