GHENT, Belgium (BRAIN)—The SRAM Cycling Fund has awarded the European Twowheel Retailers’ Association (ETRA) a € 30,000 grant. The funds will be used over a period of two years for ETRA’s role in the Presto project and for the promotion of cycling at EU level.
ETRA was founded in 1995 to group two-wheel dealers in Europe and to defend and further their interests. Today, ETRA represents some 5,000 companies, which employ approximately 11,500 people in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, ETRA has 17 associated members. These are international companies/organizations active in the two-wheel business who believe in ETRA’s work and who have therefore chosen to support that work through their membership. Among them is now also SRAM.
ETRA lobbies the European institutions for the benefit of cycling on many different issues such as transport policy, environment, public health, fiscal issues, road safety, … Furthermore, ETRA regularly organizes promotional actions to raise awareness for (electric) cycling among European politicians and officials so that they become more likely to consider and include cycling in their policies. Finally, ETRA assists dealers throughout Europe in their professional development. In that framework, ETRA is a partner in the consortium carrying out the European funded Presto project. This is the first EU cycling project ever to involve bicycle dealers. Presto received a € 1.4 million EU subsidy and is aimed at increasing the modal share of cycling in five European cities.
Ultimately, all ETRA activities are aimed at growing the market. ETRA Secretary General Annick Roetynck explains: “According to the European Commission, every European makes circa 3 trips per day of which about half are up to 3 km. Moreover, about half of all car trips are 6 km or shorter. In other words, there is a huge potential for substituting the car by cycling for all those short trips. ETRA is working hard to help dealers to tap on that potential. The SRAM Cycling Grant will help us to speed up that work.”
SRAM president Stan Day said: “The goal of the SRAM Cycling Fund is to support committed national advocacy efforts that enhance cycling infrastructure, safety and access. We are excited that ETRA shares that vision and we are proud to help ETRA accomplish its mission.”
The SRAM Cycling Fund was formed in September 2008 and funded with $10 million. The objective is to grant approximately $2 million per year for five years to existing cycling advocacy groups. Further details are on the SRAM Cycling Fund Web site: www.sramcyclingfund.org.
Further details on ETRA can be found on www.etra-eu.com.
