De Fietsambassade vzw (BE)

De Fietsambassade coordinates the pilot project TriVelo, which is a bicycle taxi service for people with reduced mobility (both temporary and permanent) in Ghent. We ride people who can no longer get to their destination by themselves, by rickshaw or wheelchair bike. These are both functional (shopping, doctor...) and pleasure rides. The fleet consists of 6 tricycles and 1 wheelchair bike. The cyclists are all volunteers, some of them are newcomers to the city (e.g., refugees).

Through the pilot activities, we want to learn how to further professionalize. The focus of this project is not to have an efficient taxi service but an effective one. We aim to have a triple impact:  

• Counteract isolation of less mobile individuals
• Lower the integration barriers for newcomers.
• Create connections between different generations, cultures, communities.

We will adjust the service further on during the following years by questioning the target groups, we collect and analyse data and will work out an implementation plan together with the end users.