Why Does Ukraine Need Bikes?

In countless Ukrainian cities that were shelled, occupied and that are generally in ruins - like Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Chernihiv, etc - people struggle with basic mobility.

• No Public Transport: The Russians destroyed busses and trolly busses or the Ukrainian Army took them for troop transport. In rural areas, people need bikes to get from villages to larger towns to get to shops, pharmacies and doctors. In cities, people in bombed neighbourhoods need to get water, food and medical care.

• Roads in Ruins: many roads in rural areas as well as cities are ruined by shelling or military vehicles, making them impossible to drive on. A bicycle can navigate them much more easily.

• Gas Shortage: there is an ongoing gas shortage in Ukraine. The gas is needed by the Ukrainian Army, as well, in order to fight back.

• Shipping Issues: Due to both the shipping backlog caused by COVID-19 and the difficulty of getting in and and of Ukraine, even if they could source bikes, they can’t get them to the country. We have, however, set up a logistics route from Copenhagen to Lviv, with reliable transport options for bringing bikes to Ukraine.

  The City of Lviv

  In the City of Lviv in western Ukraine, they have 150,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) - many of them living in refugee camps. They need a way to get around - to the supermarket, doctor, school, job interviews, etc. With our Ukrainian colleagues, we are setting up a bike share system for registered refugees in the city with the bikes we bring, as well as donating bikes to the refugee camps.