Shared Mobility

When you only need private transportation occasionally and feel owning a car or bicycle is unnecessary, a good option could be shared mobility. There are several options for car-sharing and micro-mobility (moped and bike sharing) in the Netherlands.

Shared mobility contains different means of transportation such as public transport, carpooling and renting, carsharing and micro-mobility. It has been a rising trend and gives user short term access to transportation when needed. Each provider has their own rules and pricing so check what’s most suitable for you. Most of the companies require you to have a smart phone and download the necessary application or you can try Gaiyo to plan, book and pay for all your transport with. It’s a flexible and sustainable way of travelling!

Car sharing

Sharing a car instead of owning one can be a greener way of transportation, especially when living in a city. Car sharing, car leasing, carpooling and car renting are all ways of getting around. Whether you share a car with your neighbours, rent a car or use a sharing platform the options are endless depending on your needs. The costs of a shared car vary by provider and you need to reserve beforehand. You can also rent out your own car through Snappcar.

The benefits of a shared car:

• You only pay when you need the car, so no insurance fees, taxes and parking fees
• More space on the streets with less individually owned cars
• Most of the shared cars are electric which means less air pollution

Bike sharing

The public transit bike (OV-fiets) is a shared bicycle offered by the NS throughout the Netherlands. You will need a OV-chip card to unlock the bicycle and pay a rental fee. Arriva has an equivalent called bike&go which works with an app. There are also several commercial providers and rental companies which offer bike sharing including e-bikes. You can search for shared bikes (deelfiets) or rentals (huurfiets) in your area or use the Glimble app to find shared bikes all over the Netherlands.

Mopedsharing

You might have seen them lined up on a street corner, the shared electric mopeds (snorfiets or scooter). There are a few different companies, depending on your location. They all work through the app of the provider where you create a profile and choose your plan. There’s 16 or 18 year age limit, depending on the provider and you need a valid driver’s licence B or AM. Be sure to check the service area to see how far you are allowed to travel. A helmet is mandatory when driving a moped. A third-party insurance is included through all providers.  Search for shared moped (deelscooter) online, download the app and start snoring!

Good to know on the road