Cargoroo returns to Utrecht and The Hague

by Tom Parr

E-cargo bike sharing service Cargoroo is due to return to the streets of International Cargo Bike Festival host-city Utrecht this summer, after a hiatus following the company’s bankruptcy at the end of 2024.

The move, which comes out of a partnership between Irish micromobility operator Moby and investor Fairtree Elevant will see a minimum of 90 cargo bikes on the streets of the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands. The City of Utrecht itself also cooperated closely in the relaunch.

Also available in The Hague

Shortly after news broke that Cargoroo would return to Utrecht, the City of Den Haag (The Hague) followed suit. In the coming months, a minimum of 90 cargo bikes will be made available for use in both cities, with the possibility to scale up further in 2026. The bikes, which according to MOBY are designed for carrying children, groceries, or anything that helps people move sustainably without needing a car, will be strategically placed in neighbourhoods for easy access.

Accessible for all

Interestingly, both cities are taking measures to ensure shared mobility is accessible to people on lower incomes. In Utrecht, some of the bikes will be offered at a reduced rate, while The Hague is capping rates at €5 per hour across the board.

In Utrecht, in addition to the return of Cargaroo, the city is also launching a pilot project in collaboration with MobiGo in which neighbourhood cargo bikes are jointly shared and managed by local residents. MobiGo helps residents to organise this effectively in a way that resembles a cooperative, but without setting up an official organisation, something the organisation already has experience with in smaller Dutch cities such as Zeist, Soest and Bilthoven.

The relaunch of Cargoroo, with comprehensive backing from Utrecht and Den Haag, is perhaps a sign that municipalities have learned from the previous unfortunate collapse of the company that structural, long-term support is a necessity if shared mobility schemes such as this are to succeed.

More information:

Gemeente Utrecht: Cargoroo keert terug in Utrecht, gemeente start ook met buurtbakfietsen

Gemeente Den Haag: Deelbakfietsen keren deze zomer terug in Den Haag