How to get around Rotterdam as an expat

Riva cherishes shared mobility

We don’t really expect our tenants to own a car or other transportation themselves. So Riva is glad to share all the options there are to use a bike, scooter or car! Because fortunately Rotterdam is a real testing ground for shared mobility.
09/12/2019

Mobility as a Service makes Maas

The Maas is not only the main river running through Rotterdam. It also stand for Mobility as a Service. MaaS is an initiative by some organizations from Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam Authority, the municipality and city region of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in 2008 signed a agreement with the aim of keeping the port accessible during work on the A15 motorway. From that approach De Verkeersonderneming originated. De Verkeersonderneming now oversees the improvement of mobility in the city. 

It has introduced the unique mobility concept MaaS - Mobility as a Service. Depending on the wishes, the user purchases a package from a mobility provider that delivers him journeys by taxi, public transport, car sharing and sharing bicycle for example. 

As the ambition of Rotterdam is to keep cars out of the city centre, to promote a cleaner and more liveable inner city. This is why investments are being made in shared mobility and sustainable collaboration in this field. It is not a goal in itself, but rather a way to enable Rotterdammers to be more mobile and to improve the living environment. Collaborating on innovative projects with (major) companies and knowledge institutions is important to help Rotterdam improve in terms of mobility.

Public Transportation

So the last couple of years a lot of dedicated companies started operating in Rotterdam. Mobiliteitsfabriek for example. They support De Verkeersonderneming and coordinate what kind of transport is available. They also help RET (the independent public transport company) with the so called DeMobiliteitsManager. A mobility solution with access to public transport, public transport bicycle, Greenwheels, taxi, ferry, street and garage parking and refueling. Employees receive a mobility card and the employer receives one clear invoice of the travel expenses each month. 

RET is responsible for the public transport in Rotterdam. Photo: Robin Utrecht

RET is responsible for the public transport in Rotterdam. Photo: Robin Utrecht

 

So if you’re smart you ask you’re employer to introduce DeMobiliteitsManager at work. But if that doesn’t work you can take personal measures and just choose your own options. Almost all mentioned options are available for expats and international students. Usually you have to subscribe and download an app. To register you’ll need a fiscal code, a bank card (credit, debit or prepaid) and a driver’s licence (in case of scooter or car off course).

Shared bikes

In the Netherlands they sure love to ride their bike. So it’s no wonder there are several providers of shared biking. Swapfiets started in a very classical way. A group of friends in Delft came up with the idea to offer a bike for a fixed price a month when there’s something wrong they repair the bike or provide a new one within a day. Rotterdam was one of the first cities where the bicycles with the iconic blue front tire were available. Nowadays Swapfiets is available in tens of cities in four countries.

Swapfiets in front of Markthal

Swapfiets in front of Markthal



Other current options in Rotterdam are the OV-fiets and Mobike. Earlier Uber introduced Jump. Rotterdam was the first Dutch city you can rent a red e-bike. But because of the corona crisis they were temporarily gone. In the meantime, Lime acquired the Jump shared bikes as part of an investment. You can book the bikes via the Lime-app, but also the Uber app.

Uber provides Jump bikes in Rotterdam

Uber provides Jump bikes in Rotterdam

 

The start-up BAQME is located in Rotterdam and it has introduced shared electric box bikes. Through the app you can easily book a ride with an electric box bike in the neighbourhood at any moment. The app allows you to simply unlock the bike by using your phone and off you ride. BAQME box bikes are all electric. The maximum speed with pedal assistance is 25 kilometers p/h and with a full battery you can cycle about 40 to 50 kilometers. Without pedal assistance, you can also hit the road because all BAQME bicycles have at least 7 gears. The BAQME e-box bike model generally fits two children and a dog or two large grocery bags. When using BAQME to transport parcels or construction materials, users are able to carry a maximum of 80kg with them. The price is €0,15 per minute with a minimum of €0,50 per ride. Pausing the ride costs
€0,05 per minute when you want to do a quick pitstop.

Unlike other shared e-box or cargo bike providers, with BAQME there are no fixed parking spots. Instead, users can choose a dedicated parking zone to end their ride. Before ending their ride, users are asked to take a photo of the e-box bike to ensure correct parking
behavior.

BAQME is a start-up from Rotterdam

BAQME is a start-up from Rotterdam

Another company operating in Rotterdam is Donkey Republic. This Danish initiative recently carried 100 extra bikes to the city. It also started a crowdfunding campaign on Oneplanetcrowd and thus offers the opportunity to invest in the bicycle sharing platform. Donkey Republic wants to expand the concept and seeks € 1 million. The company believes that sharing bicycles can offer an effective and sustainable solution to urban mobility challenges. Bicycle use is encouraged and sharing will reduce parking pressure in city centers and bicycle parking. 

In the current market for bicycle sharing concepts, suppliers are coming and going. Donkey Republic shows that with high-quality bicycles and constructive cooperation with municipalities, you can offer an effective and sustainable solution for cities. Donkey Republic does this with a community of involved "riders". Donkey Republic wants to increase involvement in the Netherlands. That is why they now offer them the opportunity to invest in the growth of Donkey Republic through crowdfunding platform Oneplanetcrowd. "It's great that our community can participate in this way to grow the sharing concept in the Netherlands," said Erdem Ovacik, CEO of Donkey Republic. The financing is used to be able to use an additional 2300 sub-bicycles. You can invest from € 250

Donkey Republic along the Maas in Rotterdam

Donkey Republic along the Maas in Rotterdam

Scooters

Don’t want to peddle? In Rotterdam, you grab a scooter easily. Felyx has a fleet of green light electric vehicles available. Through an app you start the vehicles and then you pay 30 Eurocents a minute. In one year the scooters became very popular so other providers also drop scooters. Like Go Sharing. They offer e-scooters by the minute like Felyx. Or you can buy packages. Check is also a new provider. That started out with 400 scooters.

Felyx behind Central station Rotterdam

Felyx behind Central station Rotterdam

Check is also a new provider. Its ambition is to further accelerate the transition from car ownership to a shared scooter. In the coming months, 400 scooters will be added. ''We want to develop a solution the city really needs. Not on our own, but together with the municipality of Rotterdam, the residents of Rotterdam, and other mobility services,'' says Paul van Merrienboer, a former manager at Greenwheels and co-founder of Check. Liveability of the city through sharing mobility Users and non-users benefit from the expansion of sharing mobility. After all, users have a scooter nearby and non-users benefit from cleaner air, less noise pollution and a better flow of traffic in the city. Co-founder of Check Marco Knitel confirms this from his experience as General Manager at Uber: "If your occupancy rate is good enough, people will dare to give up their own means of transport in the long term. Rotterdammers must be able to trust that there is always a check-in in the area and can easily use it for all their journeys. Users, residents and Check have no use for stationary scooters.''

Check adds 400 scooters

Check adds 400 scooters


GO Sharing is also available in Rotterdam. A unique feature of the GO scooters is that they are available 24/7. Moreover, anyone with a (local or international) driving licence (from 16 years of age) can use the electric scooters.

Cars

Probably the most known option. Carsharing has been around quite a time. There are a couple of companies which let you borrow cars from neighbours or others in your neighbourhood in a clever digital way. They’re called MyWheels, GreenWheels or Snappcar. Sometimes they have a couple of cars themselves.


Other companies only have own cars. Like Lev. Lev left a couple of small electric vehicles in the city with support from the municipality. The Lev takes up considerably less space than a car. There is enough space for 2 people and a little bit of luggage. The 100% electric cars run at a maximum of 45 km / hour. At your destination you park the Lev for free in a parking space. The Lev is then ready for your next ride or the next user.

Sharengo is another likewise offering. The Sharengo electric cars are equipped with an onboard computer and navigation system which recommends routes, but also offers advice on nearby offers and smart stops.

If you don’t want to be seen in the rather intimate cars you can choose UFO Drive. They landed in Rotterdam and they try a new approach to rental cars. Their mission is to make car rental simple, easy, fast, convenient and very cool. Entirely using an app, customers can experience an electric ride with a Tesla, Jaguar I-Pace or any other premium car from a 100% electric fleet. 

 

UFO Drive lands Tesla M3

UFO Drive lands Tesla M3

Last but not least we’ll introduce Juuve. This is an company from our hometown Rotterdam. 

Juuve has the ambition to be the only app that city dwellers need to get from A to B. That’s why they have a diverse range on hand. From small city cars to luxury electric BMWs. There is a fleet of hunderd of cars in the city.

Owner Niki Sie: “Sharing cars are now mainly used by people who occasionally need a car. But that way cars don’t disappear from the streets. We want to convince the people who do own their own car that sharing a car becomes more fun, luxurious and cheaper than having a own car.’’

For even fewer cars in the city, Juuve will also introduce a fleet of hundreds of electric scooters in Rotterdam coming year. Soon users will swipe both shared cars and shared scooters with the app. Users who have reserved a car which isn’t closeby can use a scooter for free to get to the car. Electric bicycles will be added later in the year. You do not need a subscription, just a Juuve account.

The options of Juuve in Rotterdam

The options of Juuve in Rotterdam

Steps

The next step(!) are steps. Or scooters as they’re also called. Next year, Rotterdam will offer space for a maximum of one thousand electric steps. The municipality has already had discussions with fifteen providers to start in Rotterdam. They must comply with the new licensing system for partial transport, which will take effect on 1 January. So get ready to share even more wheels in the new decade. This way all our tenants living in apartments managed by Riva will always have transport at hand. 

When will there be steps (or scooters) in Rotterdam

When will there be steps (or scooters) in Rotterdam

From january first of 2020 a permit obligation has been in place to ensure that the number of sharing bicycles and sharing scooters on the street matches the number of users. The permit also helps to tackle the nuisance caused by sharing bicycles and shared scooters. Sharing vehicles Rotterdam offers space for 6500 partial vehicles: 3000 bicycles, 2000 mopeds and light mopeds, 1000 electric steps and 500 cargo bikes and other forms of partial transport.

Although it was expected, no licenses are currently granted for electric scooters. But the maximum number of sharing vehicles can be adjusted if there is more or less demand for sharing mobility.

According to Alderman Judith Bokhove of Mobility, Youth and Language, it is good that current providers are getting a permit: "The available bikes and scooters are used a lot for short journeys in the city. Sharing mobility is indispensable. With the permits we ensure that the supply grows with demand, without there being a nuisance from unused or carelessly parked shared bicycles or partial scooters."

Shared mobility in Rotterdam

Shared mobility in Rotterdam

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