Dutch cargo bike maker Babboe has launched a recall of its City, City E, Mini and Mini E models, saying the safety of the bikes “cannot be guaranteed”.
Up to 10,000 bikes are subject to the recall, which began in the Netherlands on February 27 in coordination with the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Babboe said owners will be offered a replacement or suitable alternative, and compensation will be given.
The company also said it is in contact with authorities in other countries where the bikes are sold to coordinate appropriate measures.
This follows news last month that the NVWA had instructed Babboe to cease trading, with several employees claiming that management were aware that frames were breaking and refused to admit it to customers.
The NVWA said Babboe had not provided enough information to prove that some of its models were safe to use, and had received hundreds of reports of broken frames and failed to report them even though it is a legal requirement.
A number of models were consequently subject to a mandatory recall, including the Dog-E, which we reviewed in 2020.
Explaining why only the City and Mini have so far been recalled, the NVWA said: "Babboe has completed its own investigation for these two types. It has therefore been established that these bikes are unsafe.
"For the other types, an additional investigation is needed to determine the level of risk. This will take more time. This is because there have been fewer complaints about these models, which may mean there are differences between the various production runs (batches). Once this investigation is complete, a recall may also follow for the remaining models.
"As NVWA, we are not responsible for implementing the recall. It is our job to make sure that Babboe does what it is supposed to do."
Law firm Birkway is now making an inventory of those affected and is investigating whether owners can receive compensation. According to NL TImes, the Amsterdam-based company has received over 8,500 responses, including some from France and Germany.
“We are investigating whether cargo bike owners can receive compensation,” the firm said. “To do this, we need to make an inventory of how many victims there are, what kinds of problems they experience and what their damage consists of. Buyers of other types of Babboe cargo bikes (not covered by the recall) may also be eligible for compensation.
“Registration does not obligate you to anything. We only inventory the number of victims. If many victims come forward, there is a greater chance that we can claim compensation for all victims.”
Babboe director Gerard Feenema said: “Babboe takes the safety of customers very seriously. That is why we are now launching this recall for the City, City E, Mini and Mini E models. We understand the concerns and inconvenience for our customers.
“We apologise to all customers and are committed to making the recall as smooth as possible. In addition, we are in discussions with the Dutch authorities and hope to be able to provide information about our other cargo bike models as soon as possible.”
