TWO VARIATIONS OF cargo bikes by cycling company Babboe have been recalled following safety concerns. 

On 15 February, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) instructed Babboe to stop selling cargo bikes “because their safety cannot be sufficiently guaranteed”. 

Following this, the company confirmed it was halting the sale of the cargo bikes. 

The company has now recalled the Babboe Mini / Mini-E model and the Babboe City / City-E model. 

Babboe has also issued a public warning about the following models: 

• Babboe City Mountain
• Babboe Curve / Curve-E / Curve Mountain
• Babboe Big / Big-E
• Babboe Dog / Dog-E
• Babboe Max-E
• Babboe Mini Mountain
• Babboe Pro Trike / Trike-E / Trike XL
• Babboe Carve-E / Carve Mountain

The NVWA said that Babboe has completed its own investigation for the two models being recalled and determined that the bikes are “unsafe”. 

For the other models, the NVWA said an additional investigation is needed to determine the level of risk and that 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,” the NVWA said. 

“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.”

Bike user, Jane, from Dublin told The Journal last week that she uses her Babboe cargo bike every day to transport her two children to and from school.

She said she trusted the brand and feels the bulkiness of the cargo bike makes them more visible to other road users.

Jane said: “Now, with this news, we’re up the creek without a paddle and we’re wondering if we can afford to buy another bike – they’re not cheap – or do we get into the car and face traffic instead.”

Jane detailed that her family had chosen to buy the bike second hand, for environmental reasons, and as a result are unsure if it would be possible to receive a refund in the event of an EU-wide recall.

The NVWA has said that the cargo bike users must contact Babboe about potential refunds and cannot help consumers in that regard. The company does not reference refunds in the statement posted to its website.

With reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill