What?

Public transport is pleasant because it enables work or relaxation while travelling. No trouble caused by traffic jams, and provided that you don't plan to the minute there are rarely any serious problems due to delays.

Transport by bus is not generally appreciated. When travelling inside a town, a bicycle is usually more handy. It is often quicker, travels all the way to the destination, does not require you to wait and you can use it as much as you like without cost.

The combination of a train and bicycle is very useful, but many will find the purchase of a foldable bicycle too farfetched. A solution in the middle is a public bicycle system, as implemented by the Dutch Railways NS as "OV-fiets". Prices are comparable to bus fares, and the pickup locations are often the railway stations.

The long-term goal of NS is to make it easy to jump in and out of trains for (part of) a travel. The public bicycle is a practical initiative that brings this very close. Another promising initiative is accessible internet in the train. Currently, NS cooperates with KPN on this one, but when they switch to a public network such as FON or simply freely available internet, they are likely to attract many more customers interested in mobile work.

Ah... and NS may have a name for delays, and in the Western part of the Netherlands that is indeed a fact of life. But these hardly feel like a problem when the route is not planned too tightly. Travelling without tension is truly relaxed travelling.

Why?

Travelling by public transport is good for you and for the environment. It is better to share a transport medium than drive inidividual cars. In addition, train travel is comfortable because it enables work while moving. Or you can read, play a game, and so on.

Since trains are suitable for work, travel time can count as working time. De murmurs in a train cabin can actually be stimulating to work in a concentrated mode. It is certainly fair to bring this up with an employer to whom travel is needed. Why would it not be just to prepare for meetings, handle email or write a document while you are travelling? These things may not be possible in a lease care, but the train is absolutely suitable for such activities.

When travelling from city to city, it is usually necessary to go to a place some distance from the station. In almost any city, the easiest way for these legs of the travel is by bicycle. It avoids waiting for a bus, and it is usually much faster than inner-city travel by bicycle of taxi.

A folding bicycle may be an option for those who travel with trains very often, even though these are usually not as sturdy and even though they are less comfortable than a normal bicycle. For all those that find a foldable bicycle unpleasant, a public bicycle provides an excellent alternative.

After all these reasons, there is one important reason still unmentioned: Modern people do not move enough. A regular bit of bicycling as part of a scrumptious working day is an excellent way to relax and move at the same time.

How?

Private persons can purchase a separate membership for the public bicycle, or they can add it to their NS membership card. The membership includes conditions for theft/loss, including a financial risk that lowers when such conditions are properly dealt with.

The OV-fiets card can be a separate card, or it can be a registration of an existing NS membership card. The separate card must be bought. Companies may find such separate cards interesting, because these can (presumably) be shared between employees. Companies who purchase many memberships get a discount.

Where?

Two Dutch websites explain the public bicycle:

• OV-fiets explains this initiative in detail. It shows where the bicycles are available, under what conditions and at what prices. Both for individuals and companies.
• NS Business Card is about train travel for companies.