Invercargill’s traffic isn’t exactly a problem, but lately it’s been even less so for Southland Business Chamber Membership and Stakeholder Engagement Manager Adam Reinsfield.
He is testing out an e-bike as part of an Invercargill City Council scheme, supported by Active Southland, to promote healthier lifestyles and lower transport emissions.
Together, Council and Active Southland hoped to encourage local businesses to borrow from the e-bike fleet so staff can test out a different way of carrying out their morning and evening commute.
“The Chamber wanted to join this scheme to see how well the e-bikes could be used in and around the CBD. We are often out at meetings, or visiting member businesses, and as we are on a sustainability journey ourselves, reducing the impact of traffic in our city and ease of use were first and foremost in our decision,” Reinsfield said.
“It’s so easy whipping around the city. A decent 15-minute exercise to get a car and navigate the city has been reduced to a five-minute trip. We basically grab a bike and we’re off.”
Having saddlebags to take things to work or pick up supplies made it even easier, he said.
“It has made a huge difference for our team, and I reckon other businesses would absolutely love it as well, so my advice is definitely to give it a go.”
Invercargill City Council Raod Safety and Network Manager Grant Fisher said the initiative was a way for people to give an e-bike a go without the upfront cost or commitment, while at the same time encouraging sustainability and getting active.
“The idea started as part of the Innovating Streets programme, which looked at reimagining our public spaces to create better connections in our city,” Fisher said.
Getting local businesses involved was a way to encourage active transport and reduce the dependency on cars, Fisher said.
“The scheme is a great way to open up some opportunities for alternative transport methods that people might otherwise not get to try, and make e-biking a more viable or accessible option for a greater number of people within our community.”
Healthy Families Invercargill Systems Innovator Laura Dowling said the scheme gave people the chance to see what worked best for their own needs.
“This is a ‘try-before-you-buy’ scheme, which aims to make it easy for people to try e-biking without the commitment of buying one right off the bat,” she said.
“Purchasing an e-bike is a big financial commitment, so being able to loan one first can assure the rider that it’s the right fit for them. It’s been awesome to see the scheme’s been so well-received so far, and we hope it encourages more and more people to get involved.”
The main criteria for businesses keen to be part of the scheme were a commitment to promoting a sustainable community, and having a safe place to store and charge the bikes during the loan period, which was flexible. Workplaces could borrow the bikes for a set period of time, in order to best suit their needs, Dowling said.
Businesses wanting more information about the scheme, or to give it a go, can contact Council by emailing ebike@icc.govt.nz and watch the video here
