I was in the city centre the other day and was quite amazed at the number of cargo bikes selling things. In this row there were two cargo bikes selling crêpes - I prefer Nutella - a bike selling bottled water and a bike preparing caramelized chestnuts. Behind me was a coffee bike and another bottled water vendor. The rules regarding on-street vending were changed a few years back in Copenhagen, as well as the rules governing outdoor serving. The Mayor at the time, Klaus Bondam, was instrumental in this move. The idea was to bring more life to the sidewalks, squares and pedestrian streets. The result was instant and brilliant. Cafés found it cheaper and less bureaucratic to apply for outdoor licences and you’ll find tables and chairs outside cafés and bars all over town. Street vending boomed, too. What was surprising that most of it was bicycle-based. Cargo bikes are flogging all manner of food, drinks and goods. We’ve blogged about the many bikes here on Copenhagenize. The cocktail bike, the newspaper bike, the coffee bikes, you name it.
The streets are alive with bicycles in more ways than one.
