The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management asked Mobycon to analyse and create a report on the accessibility of the cycle system in the Netherlands, and the correlation with cycle ownership, focused on children between 6 and 17 years old.
A theoretical framework was set up to present the indicators related to a higher risk of “cycling poverty.” The lack of access to a functional and suitable cycles and the lack of cycling skills were some of the major barriers to an inclusive system. Data on Dutch mobility customs was analysed to pull concrete facts and figures from these indicators. On a national scale, 22% of the population hardly or never cycles and 12% do not own a cycle. A correlation between low cycle use/ ownership and specific demographic data–such as a non-occidental migration background or a low level of education or income–was highlighted, as well as the divide in high-urbanized areas where even fewer children tend to cycle/own a cycle. It was also noted that a more inclusive access to the cycle network would enable children to reach their destinations more easily and at a lower cost so that they can seize more opportunities in society and actively improve their health. Progress can still be achieved in the collection of data to better assess the evolution of the cycle practice/ownership in the Netherlands. It is also important to steer the research towards less well- known factors related to cycle skills or other influencing factors such as parking options, distance to ride, assets, and lack of shared-cycles systems.
Read the full report here (in Dutch): https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/fiets/documenten/rapporten/2022/10/21/onderzoek-feiten-en-cijfers-fietsen-voor-iedereen