The last mile
Posted August 3rd, 2006 in Industry, Culture, Advocacy
As cyclists we spend a lot of time discussing the big picture, but we’re also interested in looking creatively at the little things that will work wonders in making cycling as transport a user friendly and enjoyable experience - like providing simple product service systems (PSS) with which to make the commute to work just that little bit easier for example.
One such PSS is the BikeLodging service provided by The Bike Boutique in Singapore.
The idea of bikeLodging™ is so simple and sensible that most people just ask one question - why did nobody think of this before? Our dream is to make bike commuting so convenient that it’s simply irresistible. And we think bikeLodging™ does this. It’s one important step towardsmaking cycling sustainable in urban Asia.
* Instead of driving your car or taking a taxi to the office in the morning, you can now do the healthy thing and ride your bike, with none of the ‘aggravation factors’ of the past
* Once you arrive at the centrally-located Bike Boutique location, we store your bike in a safe, secure, dry area within The Bike Boutique itself
* There are six full showers (with separate facilities for men and women)including soap and daily fresh towels for your use
* After showering, you can select a sports drink or a fresh juice from The Bike Boutique juice bar
* You take your work clothes out of your locker, dress and walk the shortdistance to your office totally fresh and feeling great
* In the evening you walk back to The Bike Boutique, hang your work clothes in your locker or send them for dry cleaning, put on your bike clothes and jump on your bike to ride home.
In effect what this PSS does is bridge the “last mile” of commuting over it’s biggest objections - safety, storage, cleanliness, hygiene and convenience. Of course it should go without saying that this is a service easily replicated here in Sydney, and one that is sorely needed. Any takers?
The entrepreneurs behind the Bike Lodge have also established a site to promote bicycle commuting in Asia - iwant2bike2work.
More perspective at the source - Spacing Wire.
Technorati Tags: cycling, bicycles, commuting, business, ideas
What others have to say…
I was thinking about Pedapod when I wrote this, another great example of a PSS.
Question? Isn’t it just a simple case of just getting them in the door? I’m not sure why that would be a difficulty, after all most bike shops take cyclists through the front door and through to the workshop.
And why would the DA be difficult? Gyms effectively do this don’t they? Isn’t it just a matter of establishing a business along those lines.
I’m sounding dumb here aren’t I?
Either way this is one project I would love to be involved with.
As I understand it, you would need to provide a statement of the impact the facility and its users would have on pedestrian and traffic activity in the area, and address the issues of safety for all. There are also health issue hurdles to overcome in terms of having what are effectively public toilet facilities and food available to all in the same facility.
My fear (based on the reports of the Sydney Bike Strategy) is that a Government agency (possibly an LGA)is likely to take this up before private enterprise. I see a number of problems with this, not least that it then becomes a facility designed and sanctioned largely by non-cyclists, but more importantly, it becomes totally reliant on Government funding (it is a very expensive proposition to set up and maintain). What happens when the funding dries up?
Thanks, agreed, this has to be a purely commercial business and should live and die on that basis, not the whims of politically inspired funding via Govt.
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It is something we have been looking at for over 2 years. I strongly suspect that it would be almost impossible to get DA approval for such a thing in the Sydney CBD at the moment. The one thing that comes back to haunt you all the time is how you get cyclists safely off the road and into the facility. You have to take into consideration cyclist interactions with motorised traffic and pedestrians.