People in Copenhagen hop on bikes and take to the dedicated paths. More than 30 per cent people use them as their usual means of transport; it’s projected that within the next five years, the number will hit 50 per cent.
These aren’t racing bikes – think sturdy; the city supplies bikes for free if you plunk down a moderate reimbursable deposit. Amsterdam is the only city in Europe where there are currently more bikes in use, which stands to reason because it’s not a car-friendly city.
If you take a taxi, you’ll very quickly appreciate the mass transit’s appeal since taxis may among the most expensive I’ve ever taken surpassing the cost of Paris. Thank goodness, you can pay by credit card, which may lessen the pain if you’re not a pro at doing the currency conversion. I’ll wait for the shock when I see my credit card bill. If you want to park a car in central Copenhagen, plan on paying nearly $5 per hour and it’s not so easy to find a spot.
Going Green:
Denmark is intent on going green and creating a sustainable environment. Cars are taxed at 180 percent of what they’d cost where they’re manufactured. Locals can’t sneak ones in from another E.U. country to avoid paying the tax. If a car has a foreign license plate and is being driven by someone with a Danish driver’s license, they’ll be fined and the car may be confiscated. The Danish government is intent on creating a sustainable environment and is supporting the development of electric cars.
The Danish power company has partnered with a California start-up company, “Better Place”, to build a nationwide grid to support electric cars, composed of thousands of “charging stations” that will have charging poles in towns and cities and service stations along highways where depleted batteries can be swapped for fresh ones on long trips.
One challenge is standardizing the European plug socket. Another is that each charging station will cost $500,000 to build. They will then need to have the ability to stock batteries to accommodate cars that will be constructed by different manufacturers and require different sized batteries.
In order to help with this effort, late last year, The Danish government promised not to impose the normal vehicle-registration tax of 180 per cent on electric cars until 2012 – a tax break of at least $40,000 for early buyers – and to provide electric car drivers with free parking in downtown Copenhagen. Not only that, but the company has signed a deal with Renault to supply 100,000 cars – the company’s new Fluence ZE model – to Denmark and Israel by 2016.
Jens Moberg, head of “Better Place Denmark”, says the company is aiming to have the first cars on the road in Denmark by the second half of 2011. Within one year, he anticipates there will be thousands of electric cars and by 2020, he projects there will be more electric cars sold in Denmark than combustion-engine cars. “We’ve managed our business in a responsible way.” Moberg told a reporter from Time Magazine in February 2010.
But he knows there’s also an inherent risk in being first, particularly when it involves building an expensive infrastructure before any cars have been sold. “We think it’s important to be ahead of the curve, but you don’t want to be constructing charging stations in the thousands without any cars on the roads.”
Why not walk:
Copenhagen is a walking city if you confine your forays to specific areas and dress appropriately when it’s cold and windy. Unfortunately, no one informed me that it is more than illegal to jaywalk and the act carries a fine of approximately $120. Thank goodness, a police officer took compassion and mumbled something about “foreigners.”
A few of the things I didn’t know (and this is the tip of the iceberg). It has one of the most sophisticated transportation systems in the world. Denmark was the first country to develop a Google map website to plan multi-modal public transport trips.
Copenhagen is a city putting its environmental money where its mouth is. Their efforts are a step beyond anything that other governments are pursuing. It is a bit of a shock to tourists, but this may be the price we need to pay to get control of environmental issues once again.
Karen Fawcett is president of Bonjour Paris
Karen Fawcett loves to travel anywhere. Karen was a founder & president BonjourParis.com while living in Paris for more than 25 years. She has traveled across Europe and the rest of the world. She is now based in Washington, DC.
