ANP
NOS News•yesterday, 3:23 PM•Adjusted yesterday, 5:08 PM
Bicycle manufacturer Babboe is once again recalling a large number of cargo bikes. There are now a total of 22,000 in all countries where the bicycle is sold. Owners of models less than five years old will receive a new one. The Netherlands and Germany will be the first to arrive, from mid-April.
The sale of cargo bikes was stopped in mid-February by order of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) because safety could not be guaranteed. Hundreds of complaints had been received about frames breaking in half while cycling.
A recall campaign was then initiated for almost 10,000 cargo bikes of four models and it was advised not to use the other twelve models for the time being.
According to the manufacturer, the research is almost complete and the majority of the bicycles can go back on the road after inspection and repair. A technician visits the customer for this purpose. Owners have been notified about the compensation scheme. The compensation depends on the model and age of the cargo bike.
Babboe may also resume the sale of new bicycles, the company said on the website know. A spokesperson for the NVWA adds that this is only allowed after the new bicycles have been assessed as safe, and that stamp has not yet been issued by the organization.
Overload
Last week it was announced that the NVWA had started a criminal investigation into the cargo bike manufacturer. The regulator says it has indications that the manufacturer has withheld information from inspectors.
Former employees are said to have hidden broken frames in vans during inspections. Customers who called with complaints about broken frames were told that this was due to overload.
Babboe says in a response that the company is cooperating with the investigation. “If the signals reported in the media are true, we strongly disapprove and distance ourselves from them,” the website says.