“Booming Cargo Bikes Need Improved Infrastructure and Regulations for Safe Road Use”

Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – Cargo bikes are booming, especially in the cities. They can replace the car when transporting children or larger purchases. To ensure that drivers are safe on the road and do not endanger others, there is still a need to expand cycle paths and parking facilities. According to the accident expert Siegfried Brockmann from the insurers’ accident research, the size and weight of the bicycles must also be regulated.

Driving safety trainer Axel Simons criticizes that cycle paths are often not designed for cargo bikes, and there are also no suitable parking spaces. If it is politically desirable that more distances should be covered by bicycle instead of by car, this needs to be improved.

Simons gives a series of security courses at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (UAS). He recommends practicing handling the bike before transporting a load on the road. The higher weight and the different dimensions clearly differentiated the cargo bike from the conventional bicycle.

The General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) welcomes the boom in cargo bikes: “Each car trip replaced by a cargo bike avoids noise, exhaust fumes and serious accidents,” says Hessian state chairman Ansgar Hegerfeld. This gives more space on the road for those who rely on the car. On the bike you also get a direct connection to the environment, which is particularly important for children.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:230511-99-643325/2