Madame Vélo recently delivered fourteen models from Trenergy through a tender via the OCMW Bruges to the Buurtsport and De Blauwe Lelie sub-operations.

Source: Nieuwsfiets.nu

The OCMW is a public center for social welfare that provides a number of social services and thus ensures the well-being of citizens in need. Many people in Belgium have insufficient means of subsistence or even no permanent place of residence. All these people can receive social assistance from the OCMW, because everyone who legally resides in Belgium is entitled to it. Each municipality or city has its own OCMW that offers a wide range of services.

Could it also be done with Trenergy, Madame Vélo asked

A few months ago, a tender was issued via the OCMW in Bruges for the purchase of 16 e-bikes. The bicycle shop Madame Vélo of Syl de Baets had participated in that tender and had originally used bicycles from QWIC. That was just before they went bankrupt. When the QWIC models were no longer available, De Baets had to look for another suitable bicycle brand. During that period she met Pascal Chow, dealer manager of Trenergy in Belgium, at a fair where test bicycles were on display. “We then started talking and she asked if I wanted to come over,” says Chow. “She had a number of QWIC bicycles included in a lease application, but that was no longer possible due to the bankruptcy at that time. The question was: Would it also be possible with you?”

That question was easy for Chow to answer and an appointment was quickly made. They then went through the Trenergy collection together to make a good selection. “The choice ultimately fell on the Trenergy Performance Belt 2.3 SE, our second most expensive bicycle. This is a real all-rounder and very fully equipped with a powerful Bafang mid-motor and an intube battery, belt drive and automatic lighting,” continues Chow. Once the choice was made, Madame Vélo first became a Trenergy dealer and they successfully participated in the tender. “We were their lifesaver, they said.”

Travel target group employees by bicycle as much as possible

Like many other companies, sustainability is also a spearhead at OCMW Bruges and welfare associations. They encourage employees to travel as sustainably as possible. Through a subsidy call from Flanders, a total of sixteen new bicycles were purchased through the Buurtsport and De Blauwe Lelie sub-projects. Two Birdy folding bikes from Riese & Müller plus the Performance Belt 2.3 SE from Trenergy. These bicycles are mainly used for assignments within the local service economy (LDE).

“The mission of Buurtsport Brugge is to encourage all Bruges residents to exercise more, including those who belong to vulnerable target groups. Exercise promotes mental and physical health,” says Pablo Annys, alderman for social affairs. “That is precisely why we also encourage our target group of employees to make as many small (work) trips by bicycle as possible. These people often come from poverty and do not have the means to purchase a decent bicycle. Service bicycles partly solve this problem. With the support of Flanders, we were able to invest in sixteen electric bicycles, two of which were folding bicycles.”

“The purchase of new company bicycles shows that as an employer we promote a cycling culture”

The bicycles were supplied by the bicycle shop Madam Vélo from Bruges, which proudly supports the project within SPOOR and De Blauwe Lelie. “The employees of OCMW Brugge regularly use their personal vehicle for business travel. These trips are necessary, especially for the people of Buurtsport, who constantly work at external locations. But car traffic causes high mileage reimbursements and extra CO2 emissions,” says Christian FILLET, deputy general manager of the City of Bruges. “With the electric bicycle, we tackle these two bottlenecks efficiently. The purchase of new company bicycles shows that as an employer we promote a cycling culture and leave the car on the sidelines more often. In summary: better for our people, our organization and our planet.”

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