The Hague’s Fietspas Makes Bike Parking Even Easier

From 26 May, The Hague City Council is introducing the Fietspas (“Bike Pass”): the new access pass for all bicycle parking facilities in the city. The Fietspas replaces the familiar blue keychain. Cyclists will be able to collect their new pass from the parking facilities from that date. With this move, the council is working towards a recognisable and forward-looking system for bicycle parking.

Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Mobility): ‘More and more residents of The Hague are taking to their bikes. We’re seeing this in our cycle parking facilities too: they’re getting busier and we’re seeing an increasing variety of bikes. The new bike pass will help us keep better track of things and use the space more efficiently. This will ensure that it remains easy for everyone to park their bikes safely, both now and in the future.’

Exchange Weeks: Switching is Easy

The Fietspas replaces the blue keychain. From Tuesday, users can collect their new pass from the bike parking facilities managed by Biesieklette. During the ‘switchover weeks’ (from 26 May to 8 June), extra support will be available to make the switch as easy as possible. Even after this period, the fietspas will remain available to anyone visiting a bike parking facility.

Five Colours for Different Types of Bikes

The number of bicycles and different types of bicycles in the city is growing rapidly. That is why five different bike passes are being introduced, each with its own colour. The colour indicates the type of bicycle or vehicle the pass is intended for. This helps to keep the cycle racks organised and to allocate the available space fairly. The process of scanning in and out remains the same. Scanning remains anonymous and parking in the cycle racks remains free for the first 24 hours. The five colours will also feature in the signage in the parking facilities by the end of this year. This will make it easy for visitors to see which type of bicycle can be parked there.

Ready for the Future

With the Fietspas, The Hague is taking a step towards a modern and flexible system. During a pilot year, the council is testing various applications of the Fietspas. For example, it is investigating whether positive behaviour among cycle park users can be encouraged through a reward scheme in collaboration with local businesses and sports clubs. The council aims to use this to encourage people to make more use of cycle parks rather than parking on the street. In addition, the council is exploring the possibility of communicating anonymously with bike pass users. This could, for example, be used to share practical information or provide tips on (cycling) road safety.

More information (in Dutch):

• Den Haag Fietst!
• Den Haag Fietsparkeren
• Biesieklette

Photo Credit: Valerie Kuypers