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mvi.baden-wuerttemberg.de, 2012/04/23
Reading time 2:40 minutes

Bicycle-friendly at work

State secretary provides winners in the competition awarding "Baden-Wuerttemberg’s most bicycle-friendly employer" with pedelec hire fleets.

Today, Monday 23 April 2012, Gisela Splett, Baden-Wuerttemberg's state secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure handed over the prices to the winners of the competition "Baden-Wuerttemberg’s most bicycle-friendly employer".

The three winners, i.e. WALA Heilmittel GmbH, District Administrator's Office Goeppingen and Zedler GmbH, are awarded for their extraordinary commitment to bicycle mobility of their staff. "We want to reward this commitment and to support it with our prices", the state secretary explains. For this reason all three employers awarded already by the Minister of Transport Winfried Hermann on 18 November 2011 will receive a pedelec hire fleet respectively which can be used by their employees during the following six months; inclusive insurance and service delivered by LeaseRad.

The award "Most bicycle-friendly employer" aims at communicating positive examples of bicycle promotion, which are expressly intended for imitation. Wala Heilmittel GmbH (winner of the category employer of more than 500 employees) for example has shown that a diverse service offer, such as free of charge repair courses, subsidised annual bicycle checks or rain cover for lending can clearly increase the group of cycling staff members. The District Administrator's Office Goeppingen (winner of the category employer of less than 500 employees) installed new bicycle parking lots, a pedelec charging station as well as shower and locker facilities for the cyclists. The Ludwigsburg company Zedler – Institut für Fahrradtechnik und -Sicherheit GmbH (winner of the category employer of 5 to 49 employees) not only supports the bicycle for professional reasons, but promotes its use specifically. He keeps available company-own bicycles including cycling helmets for going to the post office, riding during the lunch break and attending supplier companies nearby. For staff members high value company bicycles are also made available for private use.

The pedelec hire fleet handed over today is intended to support the companies on their bicycle-friendly way. Because due to the electric assistance of the inherent riding performance, pedelecs offer new chances for the everyday and commuters’ mobility. Even longer and more challenging trails can be cycled more comfortable. In addition, pedelecs offer elderly persons or persons with health issues the possibility to take their bike for commuting or at their workplace.

The regional competition is intended to set incentives for companies and authorities to increase bicycle-friendliness and to benefit from the advantages of an active bicycle mobility of the employees. Besides the contribution to environmental protection, it is also the employees’ health and motivation that is promoted by additionally saving the costs for the parking space management.

Taking account of the positive experiences, it is out of the question for the state secretary that Baden-Wuerttemberg will take part once again in the regional variant of the nationwide competition "Germany’s most bicycle-friendly employers". "I hope for an equally enthusiastic participation this year and look forward to exciting and innovative examples of bicycle promotion, says Ms. Splett. The promotion of a bicycle-friendly mobility culture in companies and local authorities is also part of the initiative "RadKULTUR Baden-Wuerttemberg" initiated by the ministry on 28 March 2012.

Interested companies as well as authorities and other institutions with five employees at least and promoting their bicycle mobility are asked to apply under www.fahrrad-fit.de before 31 August 2012.


Source: Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure

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