21st Fub Congress in Montpellier : "Cycling, a new era?"
On the 1st and 2nd of July, Qucit took part in the 21st congress of the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB), which was held in Montpellier. Each year, FUB invites all the players of the French cycling ecosystem to meet at its annual congress around a theme. This year: "The bicycle: a new era?”.
On the programme, the opening of the exhibitors' lounge on Thursday evening, accompanied by a round table with the presentation of the "Pro-Vélo" Employer Label. Friday 2 July: a more studious day with participative workshops and an opening round table on the theme "Vélotaf: Which benefits for the employer and the employee?”.
When it comes to cycling to work, one term comes up regularly: Vélotaf. This combination of the word "bike" and "work" refers to the fact of commuting from home to work by bike, whether it is a conventional or electrically assisted bike. Jérôme Sorrel, who spoke at the opening ceremony, is the author of "Vélotaf: mode d'emploi du vélo au quotidien". With this book, he wants to share with as many people as possible the pleasure he gets from cycling every day and to explain the reasons why he started to use a bicycle as his daily means of transport. The author started cycling 7 years ago, the day his car broke down when he had to go to work. He decided to take his bike out again, and this was the beginning of his awareness of the advantages of cycling: a feeling of freedom, physical and psychological benefits.
What is the Pro-Vélo Employer label?
Employers have an important role to play in providing the necessary conditions for Vélotaf. This practice is beneficial for employers: employees are sickless, more punctual and more productive thanks to the use of the bicycle as a daily mode of transport. With this in mind, the Fédération française des usagers de la bicyclette and the ADEME: Agence de la transition écologique, with the participation of ekodev, Cyclez and Allianz have launched the Pro-Vélo Employer label. This certification distinguishes French employers who implement significant pro-bike measures in a publicly available reference framework. It includes requirements relating to:
the communication implemented by the employer on bicycle mobility
the services offered to employees
the governance and strategy of the cycling plan
the quality of parking facilities for employees and visitors
Cycling: a new era?
Since 2020, all over France, there has been an acceleration in the implementation of cycling policies (creation of dedicated mobility aid and additional cycle lanes) and an awareness of users needs, particularly under the effects of the health crisis. According to Olivier Schneider, President of the FUB, we are talking about Velorution today: "In 2020, we have gained 5 to 10 years of cycling policy". The Mayor of the host city, Michaël Delafosse, also spoke about the importance of cycling in Montpellier, notably with the various urban developments carried out in the city and the removal of certain car lines. Charlotte Guth, Head of the Cycling Mission at the Direction de la Voirie et des Déplacements (Roads and Transport Department) of the City of Paris, emphasised the ambition to perpetuate the various urban facilities put in place during the pandemic, such as the "corona lanes" for example.