E-bikes and the Sharing Economy Roger Geffen Policy Director Cycling UK

About Cycling UK 64,000 members, founded 1878 Cycling activities, membership services (legal, insurance, magazine) Campaigning nationally and locally Cycling development e.g. cycle training, projects for under-represented / disadvantaged groups

Our campaigning Covers 6 themes: Commitment to cycling: cycling’s place in transport, planning, economic, environmental policy Design for cycling: the planning and design of roads, streets and junctions, new developments, highway maintenance Safe drivers and vehicles: traffic law and enforcement, lorries etc ‘Smarter choices’: cycle training, promotion of cycling in schools and workplaces, to under-represented groups etc Public transport integration: trains, buses, tram / transit systems, aviation, shipping – and hire bikes! Off-road access – rights of way, canals/riversides, key landowners and designated sites / areas etc

Live campaigns Space for Cycling: supporting local cycling advocates / groups to enlist political support for high-quality cycle network planning (“plan, invest, build”) and secure funding Road Justice: strengthening road traffic law and its enforcement Rides of Way and Trails for Wales: opening up off-road access

Cars of the future: Our proposed stance Should be electric, in shared ownership and driverless Driverless cars could be a curse… Everyone could own one, including children etc Cyclists / peds forced to keep out of the way … or a blessing Driverless cars facilitates shared ownership – which in turn reduces car use Reduces space consumption for both parked and moving vehicles: more space for cycling, space for living? Once they can detect AND predict cyclists and peds and are safer than human-driven cars, we should go driverless as quickly and completely as possible

Ambivalence on e-cars Source: An analysis of urban transport: Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2009 Economic costs of urban congestion, road casualties, air pollution and physical inactivity in England are of similar magnitude: c£10bn each (2009 estimate). So don’t treat these as 4 separate problems. Tackle all four together: fewer cars, not just newer cars.

Support for e-bikes Need to feature in Government’s Air Quality Strategy (still awaited!), its 25-year Environment Strategy and its Industrial Strategy. Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) should support e-bikes, not just electric motor vehicles. Grounds for not doing so are inconsistent with evidence, and with rationale for Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS)

Are e-bikes “cheating”? Merely switching same trips from conventional to e-bikes would reduce physical activity. But e-bikes increase both number and length of trips: Older and/or less able people => huge health benefits; Longer trips: CO2 savings far bigger than conventional bikes. Per mile, energy consumption / carbon footprint of e-bike travel far lower than e-car. Opportunities for cargo bikes and pedicabs, thus reducing van and taxi traffic too

Dockless hire bikes Hire bikes a proven introduction to cycling Dockless allows cheaper and more flexible operations But risks of clutter, poorly-maintained bikes etc. Cycling UK very keen to support well-run dockless bikes – upsides without downsides. Support Bikeplus Charter. We MAY need powers for LAs to regulate – to avoid a race to the bottom of low standards

The gateway drug to cycling! Hiring out e-bikes: The gateway drug to cycling! Hire bikes are a great intro to cycling – ‘Boris Bike’ users soon buy their own bikes (TfL data) E-bikes are a great intro to cycling “Try before you buy” e-bike hire schemes are a doubly great intro to cycling: evidence from Netherlands, Norway and now UK Time to go mainstream!

E-bikes and the Sharing Economy Roger Geffen Policy Director Cycling UK