International Cargo Bike Festival 2017

By Karin Veenendaal
For bicycle entrepreneur Jos Sluijsmans, it all boils down to this sentence.
For more than 10 years, he has dedicated himself to promoting the bicycle as
a sustainable alternative to motorised transport. He began as an independent
bike courier; nowadays he is a sustainable mobility consultant and Director of
the International Cargo Bike Festival.
During all this time there was one constant:
his conviction that city logistics should be
(and must be) organised in ways that are
smarter, healthier and focussed on eco
friendliness. Sluijsmans: ‘Recently I re-read
a blog I wrote back in 2006. In it I expressed
my horror at the many trucks and vans
that congested the city while loading and
unloading. With my city centre office I
experienced the stench, the noise, the jams
and the aggravation every day.’
It was evident to Sluijsmans that cargo
bikes offered the solution. They are a
cheap, human and environmentally friendly
alternative to the noisy, polluting trucks and
vans. Re-reading the blog he was especially
struck by the mention of core values ​for a
pleasant living and working environment.
According to Sluijsmans a city must be
attractive, accessible and liveable. ‘I still
agree with every word I wrote. Cities should be
about people and not cars. I’m an advocate
for liveability.’
Sluijsmans: ‘I’m particularly inspired by what
Paris has done on the banks of the Seine,
which have been made car-free and transformed
into parks. Or Madrid where they
plan to make the Gran Vía, a busy shopping
street and a six-lane road, car-free. Have you
ever been to Madrid? The Gran Vía runs right
through the heart of the city. Their plan is so
inspiring! It takes guts to make such decisions
and enhance the life of a city.’
Can you in The Netherlands learn from
these examples? ‘Yes. Even here, absolutely.
In Nijmegen they are still engaged in trivial
disputes about whether or not to ban cars
from the Waalkade, Nijmegen’s waterfront.
Come on, just do it! Citizens will adapt. In fact,
more and more people demand these kind
of choices from the business sector and their
government. We choose to ignore it: but traffic
pollution is - just like smoking - carcinogenic.
So a change is needed. Last year, I predicted
that within 10 years there will 50% less vans in
the Netherlands. I’m still convinced they will be
replaced by (e)-cargo bikes and other light
electric vehicles.’
Interest in and demand for clean and
quiet transportation increases all the time.
A common refrain is that organisations will
only consider transitioning to them when
affordable eco friendly alternatives to
motorised transport are developed.
However, according to Sluijsmans proven
alternatives already exist: ‘This is one of the
reasons why I organise the ICBF. I want to
show people, bring them together, anyone
- including executives and policy makers -
so they can experience for themselves what
viable cargo bike transport entails. It’s the
place to pick up on the latest developments
and see the many advantages and
possibilities.’
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