Will bicycles transport Basel’s freight traffic in the future?
Basel-Stadt has launched a pilot project involving the use of bicycles for commercial deliveries. While this sounds rather strange, it is a sign of something bigger: Basel is starting to create a modern freight traffic concept. The Office for Mobility plans to put tradesmen on delivery bikes with their new “Work By Bike” concept. The electrical bicycles - with a trailer attached that can carry up to 150 kilograms - are in fact a very practical solution for transporting smaller items. However, such trendy bikes have so far not caught on in Basel – unlike in the rather flat Dutch or Scandinavian cities. Basel has its geographical ups and downs, and therefore electrical bicycles are a good compromise.
Increase public awareness of cargo-bikes
Mathias F. Böhm, from the Pro Innerstadt Association, thinks that the idea is brilliant. “The cargo-bike project aims to make delivery bicycles a valid option for commerce,” he said. Luca Olivieri, from the Office for Mobility, agrees with this opinion: Bread rolls, flowers or tools can be transported very easily on a cargo bike, he said. He is convinced that this is a good solution. Basel is already ahead of other cities, he adds. “If someone needs a cooling unit, we can put it on the bike.” Mr Olivieri speaks of a “sensitisation” for practical and environmentally friendly transport.
Part of something bigger
As test results show, Basel’s bike courier central has been using cargo bikes for a while. And the Swiss postal service is still using versions of these cargo bikes – motorbikes with small trailers – to deliver letters and packages. “It is vital that we come up with new solutions for freight traffic,” Mr Böhm said, talking about the freight traffic concept that Basel developed two years ago. Together with the chamber of commerce, the trade association, and transport service providers, the Office for Mobility has worked on several solutions that could modernise freight traffic. Hubs that act as centres for package delivery are one of the possible solutions. “This is not a question of politics but rather a question of how a modern city should function,” Mr Böhm says. The city logistics in particular are going to change drastically, he said. Because of increased networking, new possibilities will arise. For example, shops will have to keep fewer supplies in stock. Furthermore, it is also very unlikely that deliverers will continue to bring wares to each shop separately. When asked why the city does not implement the freight traffic concept sooner, Mr Olivieri said it was important to link the different players in order to find a good general solution. "The city can just create the framework conditions,” he said.
The path to modern city logistics
The freight traffic concept is based on a lengthy study conducted by the University of Wuppertal. It presents an encompassing catalogue of measurements and also shows how increased cooperation can be valuable in logistics. For now, 10 electrical cargo bikes are on the streets of Basel. It remains to be seen whether they are the harbingers of modern city logistics. But even though they look rather dated, their reusability could well be the path to the future.
Winter storm “Evi” is sweeping across Basel this week
After the “Burglind” storm earlier this month, which caused widespread damage across the region, strong winds are currently moving across Basel again. Wind speeds of up to 100 km/h are expected. The Meteogroup has put in place a “storm/hurricane” weather warning for the region until Thursday. The winds are expected to ease by Wednesday night. The barfi.ch weather forecast also shows that the winds will be fierce this week.
Here is the weather forecast in detail.
Fire fighters operation because of burning garden sheds in Basel
An investigation has been launched after two garden sheds burned down at Landauerstrasse in Basel on Sunday night. Nobody was injured. A local resident raised the alarm at 2.45am after noticing that a shed was on fire in the FGV Landauer area. A second garden shed had caught fire before a crew of Basel-Stadt fire fighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames. Both garden sheds were destroyed. The cause of the fire is still unknown and is central to an investigation by the criminal police. Paramedics of Basel-Stadt, police patrols, professional fire fighters, and the fire brigade of Riehen were all involved in the emergency operation. Anyone who can provide information about the fire is asked to contact the criminal police of Basel-Stadt’s public prosecution on phone number: 061 267 71 11 or go to the nearest police station.