Challenge / Goal
Cities are struggling with increasing pollution due to traffic emissions. Munich, in particular, faces huge problems with air pollution. Part of a sustainable solution is therefore to promote and implement electric mobility solutions, as this may reduce local emissions and at the same time increase the use of renewable energy sources.
In Munich, the MVG’s (Munich’s public transport provider) current bike-sharing system is not well-suited for senior citizens (60+) or physically impaired people. These groups often prefer electric bicycles or tricycles (or trikes) as their sense of balance is weak. The current bicycles on offer also do not allow users to transport heavy loads. The chosen alternative in these cases often tends to be the private car.
Within this measure, a carrier e-trike for mobility-impaired people and a concept for the integration of e-trikes in the MVG bike-sharing system is developed. This will not only diversify what is on offer in terms of public mobility services, but also enable access to often expensive vehicles, such as e-bikes and e-trikes, thereby providing an affordable and sustainable transport alternative.
Solution
A newly developed e-trike, which is easy to cycle, thanks to a low and deep-seated tricycle-frame was integrated into the existing shared bicycle fleet of Munich’s public transport provider (MVG).
The e-trike is very user-friendly and also offers high stability to users. It runs at a speed of up to 25 km/h and has enough storage space capacity for several large shopping bags. The e-trike can be located and booked by the MVG eTrike App.
Citizen participation
The measure has been implemented in collaboration with the target user groups. Interviews with senior citizens, for instance, provided the baseline technical requirements. The MVG is also able to build on its experience with non-electric bike-sharing schemes, applying this to the e-trike sharing scheme. Users are also given the opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences, which will allow the bike sharing provider to improve their services and further adapt it to the needs of all users.
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