The Capital Region of Brussels has defined ambitious targets to improve the quality of air in the city by 2023. The CAIRGO BIKE project, an ecosystem which promotes the use of the cargo bike in Brussels, has received European funding via the UIA, and will be developed and managed by Brussel Mobility together with its partners in the next three years. Important to mention that this project goes beyond the actual bike and its promotion. Brussel Mobility has developed an entire ecosystem to make a success out of this project. Partners like Urbike and Pro Velo provide leasing formula’s and make it possible to test the cargo bikes. Via Cambio one can rent a cargo bike and via Remoquable one has access to trailers. Additionally, the ecosystem also provides trainings to learn to steer a cargo bike as well as parking spaces to stall your bike in all security. The project is a mobility solution for the citizens and entrepreneurs in Brussels, active in retail, logistics and construction. Petrol powered minivans, mostly used by self-employed and SME’s, are a source of immense pollution in the city of Brussels. These displacements by minivan can, at least partially, be replaced by once’s done by the cargo bike.

The Cairgo Bike project is also monitored carefully by Brussel Environment and the VUB-MOBI. Brussel Environment measures and compares the exposure of car drivers and cargo bikers to black carbon, and this in the different Brussels neighbourhoods and during different moments of the day. VUB-MOBI on the other hand calculates the impact of using the cargo bike on external costs for Brussels society, for example the positive impact on traffic jams, air quality, climate change, noise disturbance and accidents.

Publicis Groupe and VO Citizen are both, working together as a consortium, delighted with the attribution of the communication and event part of this project. The communication will include the branding, the website, events including all necessary field material, press relations, campaigns and SoMe expressions towards specific audiences, specific collaboration with partners and profession federations, next to strengthening the collaborations with existing initiatives like Bike for Brussels.

Sofie Walschap (Attaché chez Service public régional de Bruxelles/Gewestelijke Overheidsdienst Brussel): “The cargo bike is THE means of transport in the very nearby future. Together with our partners, we provide an answer to the needs and wishes of the citizens, families, and companies in Brussels. We believe that by promoting, additionally to the promotion of the bike, also trainings, accessories, parking possibilities, interesting usage formulas, and clearly communicating about all of this, that we will see within a frame of 3 years the rise of a new generation of bikers, the cargo bikers.”