In Paris, cargo bikes are gaining ground.

The COVID-19 crisis permanently changed the way people get around in Paris. A new cycling culture has bloomed. This can be seen not only in commuters, but in the world of business too.

 

@Les Boites à Vélos

 

Businesses using cargo bikes are not only liberated from endless traffic jams and the time-consuming search for parking, but they’re also future-ready, as polluting vehicles are increasingly restricted from entering the city centre.

Les Boîtes à Vélo - which translates to ‘Bike Boxes’ in English - is one of the Parisian organisations leading the change. They champion cargo bikes as a practical alternative to moving people and goods around urban areas in cars and vans. They launched in 2017, with 12 member companies in Paris. Fast forward to 2022, and a number of new businesses are joining every week. Les Boîtes à Vélo offer a free, tailor-made programme for micro-entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs, which supports them in making the switch to cargo bikes.

 
 

Les Boîtes à Vélo work with businesses from a range of different sectors, including ones you may expect - logistics, plumbers, dry cleaners - to ones that may be more surprising - beekeepers, doctors, plant shops and waste management services. Cargo bikes are suitable for many different business uses as they can carry up to 450 kilos of equipment, the same amount as a Renault Kangoo van! Their practicality is further evidenced by the fact that even large companies such as La Poste, UPS, and SNCF, are experimenting with cargo bikes.

Some parts of the city centre in Paris were previously near-abandoned by tradespeople, due to traffic and parking issues, and using cargo bikes means they can access these areas once again - without causing pollution.

 
 

There are also social co-benefits to this way of getting around - tradespeople don’t need to travel so far during their working day, they create a local clientele and contribute to re-creating local links in the heart of the city.

The cyclist is in direct contact with people on the street, unlike the famous white van - an anonymous presence that only passes through Paris. The local delivery man on the cargo bike can more easily become a familiar face - someone you know and can wave to on the street. Small benefits like this can make a big difference to communities here. 

There’s also a huge financial case for businesses in Paris looking at switching to cargo bikes. Buying a Renault Kangoo van costs a hefty €25,000 plus €6,000 per year for maintenance, whereas a good cargo bike costs between €4,000 and €5,000 to buy and between €100 and €500 per year to use.

 

@Solar Sound System Paris

 

On top of this, there’s further financial support to sweeten the deal for those looking to switch to cargo bikes in Paris: 

  • SME’s (small and medium-sized enterprises with less than 250 employees) can access up to €2,500 via the Agency for Ecological Transition’s "energy springboard" programme in Paris (and the wider Île de France region that Paris is part of). 

  • Individuals can use the French government’s ‘bike bonus’ to cover up to 40% of the cost of purchasing a cargo bike, up to a maximum of €1,000.

  • Finally, as part of the Climate Bill, a subsidy for the purchase of a cargo bike should be voted on soon.

"It's great news that the State is taking up the issue of cyclo-logistics, by announcing their national plan. The relevance of cargo bikes is thus recognised for business travel, all sectors of activity included. The task of adapting urban areas to sustainable local logistics remains to be carried out. Bringing logistics centres closer to the centre of urban centres by encouraging the creation of intermodal hubs will be the key to the success of an ambitious plan. Finally, a fair tax on electric cars and cargo bikes would be a strong symbol of recognition of the cargo bike as a vehicle in its own right," - Mathieu Eymin, President of Boîtes à Vélo 

At Paris sans Voiture, we believe that working by bike means choosing to live better, and to actively participate in the necessary transition of our cities. It also means discovering an incredible freedom - that of no longer suffering in traffic jams and no longer producing the pollution Parisians currently breathe.

Cathy Lamri
Car Free Megacities Paris Lead | Paris Sans Voiture

 
 
Emma Kemp