We’re all keen to reduce our carbon emissions (or we should be!) and the only mode of transport more eco-friendly than riding a bike, is riding someone else’s bike. Yellow Backie is an Amsterdam-based initiative that encourages visitors to adopt the Dutch custom of Backie – getting a ride on a fellow cyclist’s luggage rack. Think of it as the cyclist’s version of an Uber driver. The company behind the initiative provide bright yellow racks so that participating riders can be easily identified.

London is already renowned for its Boris bike’s, so could this be taken one step further and bring the Backie initiative to another bike-friendly city? The insurance implications would need careful consideration, but this could definitely be worth exploring, perhaps in partnership with a cycle equipment manufacturer or retailer. An app could even by formulated, to enable customers to  hail nearby Backie drivers, and bring  this simple business idea into the 21st century