From niche to mainstream? The role of a mobility hotel in advancing the commercial use of cargo bikes

Mobility hotels can contribute to reduced car use by offering services removing barriers for commercial use of cargo bikes. Critical barriers for cargo bike use are unreliable and fragile bikes, organizational burden, and high implementation costs. There are indications of technological maturity of cargo bikes improving, and this could become an important driver for cargo bike adoption. The mobility hotel KAIA in Oslo provides services that can remove or reduce critical operational barriers for last mile, mobile and on-demand services. The combination of leasing and maintenance of bikes is especially important. The City of Oslo has a critical role in shielding and nurturing the cargo bike niche towards becoming mainstream through supportive policies. Backing initiatives like KAIA Mobility Hotel can help strengthen this niche. A strategic approach to supporting cargo bike adoption should include a combination of measures, such as procurement policies, land use planning, financial incentives, urban infrastructure, and integration of cargo bikes in municipal operations.