The Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende visited the Battery Park in September.  During his visit he took a rest on the black leather of the Lepper suspension saddle of the Acorn Cycles “Beatrix” Battery Conservancy bakfiets. The Battery Park Conservancy uses Acorn Cycles bakfietsen as a typically Dutch green solution to park maintenance for almost 6 months now and they are very satisfied with their innovation in park maintenance. Especially the park workers feel proud and privileged if they are appointed to work with these mahogany boxed machines instead of trucks or common barrows.

In 2006 Balkenende said in the Dutch Parlement the following: “I don´t understand why you are so negative and annoying about this subject (he addresses Femke Halsema from the left wing (former communists) green party Groen Links about an unknown subject during general deliberations in 2006), let´s be happy with each other! Let´s say: The Dutch can do it! With the mentality of the V.O.C. (the first multi national corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock)! With a view that crosses borders, dynamism!“.

Balkenende took a lot of critics because of this referral to the V.O.C. because the V.O.C. also had a dark side: their “employees” where mainly unpaid slaves.

But with keeping that in mind, he was right: the Dutch can do it and it´s about time the Dutch start to look across borders and advocate actively outside of the Netherlands their green and sustainable solutions too transportation.