E-bikes for council staff

Fifty-two Tauranga City Council staff can now get to work on electric bikes, thanks to a deal with national e-bike distributor electrify.nz.

The council made the bulk order on behalf of the staff, along with seven e-bikes for its own vehicle fleet, to encourage fewer single-occupant cars into the Tauranga city centre.

Most of the staff buyers usually drive to work, but are planning to leave their cars at home and ride whenever practical, the council says.

There’s already a very strong biking culture at the council, its transportation manager Martin Parkes says.

“Between 40 to 60 staff ride to work regularly. E-bikes open up the possibility of biking to even more people.”

Staff were able to test ride the bikes and learn about e-biking options.

“At the beginning we thought 10 to 15 staff might take up the offer, and we got 52, most of those relatively new to biking,” Parkes says. “It’s been a thrill to see so many people get genuinely enthusiastic about making a change to the way they travel. It’s a win-win for staff, for the council’s fleet and for the city.”

Parkes says he started commuting on an e-bike from Ohauiti last year. “I love it and I wish I’d started doing it a lot earlier.”

He says every person on an e-bike, bike or bus helps free up parking and relieve traffic flow.

Electrify.nz founder Michael Tritt says every e-bike supplied takes someone out of a car for some part of their life, whether for commuting, leisure or general transport.

“Tauranga City Council recognised this fact and the obvious benefits for staff, the council and the community, showing how a large employer can improve the transport mix of our cities, which is awesome!”