BPP: Bicycle Partnership Program

I-CE, a Dutch foundation, operates in developing countries as an organization contributing to the development of these emerging countries through specific programs. The Bicycle Partnership Program 2007-2010 is the successor of the LOCOMOTIVES program (see below). The BPP aims at promoting cycling, based on cycle-inclusive planning1, which can make a significant contribution to fighting poverty, improving urban mass mobility at low cost and traffic safety in a sustainable environment and more generally, the quality of life.

• BPP therefore assists local authorities, civil society organizations (CSO's) and other partners in creating or improving a local process making it possible to use a bike as a means of transportation.

- The Bicycle Partnership Program - BPP (2007-2010), is the successor of the LOCOMOTIVES program (see reports).
 

Locomotives Report 1
Locomotives Report 2

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Cycle inclusive planning

As long as the significance of cycling in the fight against poverty, the improvement of safety, the environment and the quality of life is denied or ignored and as long as local partners do not have the necessary means and know-how to develop and implement policies themselves, development cooperation makes sense to help obtain direct results for improving the situation of the urban poor.

In order to be efficient and significant, cycling has to be taken into account in many public and private policies, strategies and sectors of activity as a transport mode in its own right. For a city, this means for example that planning and design have to include cycling in all fields, whereas the industry has to market bicycles that correspond to the technical and financial possibilities of the cyclists.

An integrated approach of the overall traffic and transport system is needed:
- man/woman, with his/her needs and interests as a citizen and traffic participant,
- vehicle, in this case the bicycle,
- the road or infrastructure and its rules and ways to use it.

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Intervention strategies

Through the Bicycle Partnership Program, I-CE follows simultaneously 3 intervention strategies in an international collaboration context: policy influence, capacity building and direct poverty alleviation.
Influencing policies stands for:
- the mobilization of citizens, politicians, professionals, and the economy, in order to get the bicycle and cycling on the political agenda;
- the introduction of laws and rules that facilitate cycling;
- the promotion of knowledge and know-how that include cycling in various policies.
Capacity building means:
- supporting of organizations promoting the interest of cycling;
- development of concepts and support of initiatives to create a market for low-cost bicycles;
- execution of research and training on cycle-inclusive planning and design of facilities.
Direct poverty alleviation includes:
- removing or reducing of social and financial barriers for bicycle use
- realization of innovative production and assembling of low-cost bicycles;
- implementation of safe bicycle routes.

• I-CE assists cities in rapidly developing countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa through local capacity-building and implementation of urban management tools. Objective: improve accessibility, in particular by connecting neighbourhoods, linking activity centres and increasing mobility through the promotion of cycling and walking as modes of transport for daily commuting.

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Partnerships

- I-CE never operates alone in emerging countries but always with partners, especially in the Bicycle Partnership program. I-CE associates Dutch professionals working in municipalities, consultancies and other organizations to offer their oversea's counterparts an inside view of how cycling policies can be implemented.

- To create or improve a local cycling process
I-CE is convinced cycle planning should be integrated into overall urban and transport planning and policies and into sustainable development processes. The BPP's objective therefore is to work with all local interested parties in order to get local processes on the move including these elements. No actors are excluded but the BPP focus lies on cities which are the decision-makers in terms of cycling infrastructure, and civil society organizations (CSO's) which play a key role by influencing local policies, mobilizing the civil society and the taking of local initiatives.

• Cities (municipalities) have to take the lead in promoting bicycle use by providing adequate infrastructure. I-CE, through the BPP, supports 30-50 cities in Africa, Latin America and Asia in their ambition towards cycle-inclusive town and transport planning through local coaching and training. Cities invest in planning and facilities and I-CE puts international experts at the municipalities' disposal.
• Civil society organizations (CSO's) are key actors; they play a catalyst role in city processes by mobilizing stakeholders, influencing (cycling) policies, etc. For that reason, the BPP also supports and funds the realization of CSO projects in combination with capacity-building: 10-25 CSO projects per year between 2008 and 2010.

- Mobilizing Dutch professionals and organizations

• For capacity-building and in order to transfer know-how and information to municipalities and CSO's in developing countries, I-CE appeals to Dutch experts working with local authorities, consultancies and civil society organizations in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Credible leaders are also mobilized as bicycle ambassadors, such as mayors and members of Parliament, for exchange of experience.
• I-CE also operates in association with universities and consultants in the framework of the Cycling Academic Network (CAN): the University of Twente and ITC (International Institute of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observations).
• For the funding of CSO projects, I-CE works together with Dutch civil society organizations which gather funds amongst the Dutch public.

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Inputs: funding

- BPP subsidies and other funding modes
The Bicycle Partnership Program is mainly funded by the Dutch Ministry of Cooperative Development through a subsidy of 4.4 million € for the period of 2007 to 2010.
I-CE complements this subsidy through:
. match-funding with other pluriannual programs using donor funds (e.g. the SUMA program of the CAI-Asia Centre, the World Bank Regional Urban Sustainable Transport project in Latin America using GEF funds²,
. co-funding through public authorities in developing countries which participate in the BPP program,
. contributions from Dutch consultancies in the framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR),
. sponsoring,
. campaigning amongst the Dutch public by other social organizations.
Last but not least, individuals and organizations participate with either free or low-cost contributions.

• I-CE therefore insists on including road safety in cycle-friendly policies to improve overall road safety and produce an effective and safe interaction between the different transport modes.

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Strategic alliances by I-CE for the BPP program

- Asia:
In Asia, the programming is shared with the Clean Air Initiatives for Asian Cities. The BPP is matched with the CAI-Asia SUMA program. In 2008, I-CE will deliver a training handbook for training, assistance to two Indian Cities, a draft component for an Asian manual on cycling and a draft position paper on cycling in India.
- Latin America:
In Latin America, the BPP program will cooperate with the World Bank and Clean Air Initiatives for Latin America who coordinate a Regional Urban Sustainable Transport project in Latin America2.
- Africa:
In Africa there is no existing regional program to match the BPP program. In 2008, I-CE will explore strategic alliances with other international (donor) organizations and networks to add more substance to a regional African agenda for cycle-inclusive planning (cycle-inclusive planning¹).
One of the first steps in this process will be the exploring of the opportunity to link in with the Global Alliance for Eco-Mobility led by ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. Furthermore, possibilities to involve Dutch Embassies with Development Corporation mandate and international and regional development agencies will be explored.

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