Currently travelling to Toronto on a ship from the Netherlands is a vehicle that is billed as the Zero Emission S.U.V. This however is a person powered people and cargo mover, not a bio/eco/fuel powered pseudo-tank in the form of the S.U.Vs that currently roam Toronto's core and suburbia. An Amsterdam couple is bringing one of their cargo bikes over to Canada to demonstrate it here in Toronto for the month of May, with hopes of importing a line of cargo bikes here for sale in the near future.

Anandamayii is pictured here riding the cargo-bike in Vondelpark, Amsterdam. In it is her daughter Alisha, her son Mishka and his friend Noah. This is the bike she will be riding around Toronto in the month of May. If you see her on the bike she said you are welcome to ask to test drive it.

This is an initiative of Anandamayii Czerwinski of the Netherlands and her Candian partner Michael Lorincz who have been users of these cargo bikes in the Netherlands and now see an opportunity to bring them to Canada. Anandamayii describes how she got to the point of being a bike retailer. "I started out as a very enthusiastic customer. I rode a 2 wheel cargo bike and had it painted by a friend of mine (see picture below). I have always felt a deep connection to the company and their owners and always have given my feedback in order to make a great product even better." They are moving with their two children and will start the business here from scratch. Once they are here they will start looking for investors or retailers that they can work with. Their plan has the support of the manufacturer of the bikes "Fietsfabriek" www.fietsfabriek.nl.

Michael Lorincz is riding their hand painted 2 wheel cargo bike with friend Mickey in the cargo compartment.

Anandamayii will be riding the bike around Toronto and plans to be involved in some of the bike week events. "In the Month of May, I'll be introducing the Zero Emission S.U.V. to Canada, by cycling it through the streets of Toronto. People are welcome to test drive, when they see me," says Anandamayii. Anandamayii will not be alone. A TV crew will follow her for the first week of her trip in May and they will make a video diary for broadcast on National TV in the Netherlands. To get more information on this initiative you can contact Anandamayii at anandamayii(a)tiscali.nl (replace (a) with @ in you e-mail program) and/or look at the website www.fietsfabriek.nl to see the various models that the manufacturer produces. (A new website www.dutchbikefactory.com is under construction and will hopefully be ready by May.)

As Torontonians try to make the shift towards lower or zero emission modes of transportation we can look to other countries for ideas as to how we can use bikes for more and more trips. In this case, people with those ideas are coming here. Using bikes more for utilitarian functions like shopping or taking the family to soccer or the pool will help individuals to reduce their car use and help reduce our emissions from transportation. Bikes are an efficient way to move people, and cargo too.