The record temperatures of the past summer were nice, but they were also an unsettling reminder that, huh, we’ve really fucked this climate up and we’re probably all going to die of global warming in about 50 years if we don’t do something ASAP. One of the things we could do, according to the bicycle company Batavus, is to reduce our car traffic. Their research says that around 352 000 people commute by car into Stockholm every day, and that a third of that group could easily cycle their commute instead (with a journey of less than half an hour). Which is why, fifty years after Sweden switched to right-hand drive on ‘Dagen H’, they’re launching the Cykeltrafikomläggningen (Bicycle Re-orientation) campaign and ‘Dagen C’, which aims to encourage Sweden to re-organise its transport situation again, this time in a more bicycle-orientated direction.
Cykeltrafikomläggningen is a long-term campaign, with Dagen C its start point this Stockholm Fashion Week. This Thursday, Aug 30, cyclists are challenged to cycle to work, school or wherever through the Facebook event ‘Dagen C – för fler cyklister på gatorna’. And through posting photos of themselves with an explanation of why they choose to cycle using the hashtags #cykeltrafikomlaggnignen and #jagtarcykeln, they can even win a new toy. The best will win a Batavus bike worth around 23,000kr. They’re will also be the opportunity to test ride their bikes on Norrmalmstorget during the day.
Mats Douhan of Batavus Sverige says: “We try every day to get more people to transport themselves using bicycles. Batavus has, for over 100 years, sold bicycles and electric bicycles in the Netherlands and has therefore contributed to the shift to green transport. In Sweden most people are conscious of the environment in some way, and with Cykeltrafikomläggningen we want to launch an initiative that continuously encourages sustainable behaviour. We want to create a movement that connects companies and individuals, even competitors. The question is bigger than just us”.
For those whose commute is a little too long for a regular bike, Batavus have also teamed up with the energy company GodEl to create an electric bike called the GodElcykel. Pontus Winberg, CEO at GodEl, says “We think this is a really exciting collaboration. We see it as an excellent opportunity to inspire time-pressed urban people to be more climate-conscious. To start it during Fashion Week, which represents an industry with enormous climate potential and where the consumers are becoming more and more aware [of their climate responsibility], feels like a very symbolic step”.
Cykeltrafikomläggningen gets underway this week, with Dagen C set for Thursday, Aug 30.
