The Foundation
How we're organised, how we work
Stichting Veilige Bakfiets is a non-profit foundation established under Dutch law in 2024. The Foundation stands up for the interests of cargo bike owners who have suffered damage as a result of buying or leasing a defective cargo bike.
The Foundation is led by an expert board and is advised by experienced lawyers and professionals with extensive experience in the field of collective actions.
Stichting Veilige Bakfiets is supported by the Fietsersbond.
One party making a stand on behalf of everyone affected
Independent
The board sets the course. The litigation funder has no say over the strategy, settlement decisions or communication with participants.
Non-profit
Every euro recovered goes to those affected — not to the Foundation.
Representative
Thousands of affiliated families from all over the Netherlands; the participants are actively consulted.
Expert & experienced
Board members and advisers with experience in mass damages, consumer law and bicycle engineering.
Why a foundation?
Sometimes a product or safety issue puts thousands of consumers and small businesses in the same situation at once. Individually, it is often difficult to hold a manufacturer or large company liable. Legal proceedings cost time, money and specialist knowledge, which leads many affected people to refrain from taking action.
What we do
Stichting Veilige Bakfiets stands up for the collective interests of cargo bike owners. By bundling individual cases, we can act on behalf of a large group of consumers and be a strong negotiating partner for manufacturers, authorities and other parties involved.
Our starting point is always to reach an adequate solution through dialogue first. If that fails, the Foundation can — if it is in the interest of its participants — take collective legal action to obtain compensation or another adequate solution.
How we came about.
The Foundation was established in 2025 by parents, bicycle experts and lawyers who found each other in the aftermath of the Babboe debacle. The Fietsersbond supports the action substantively and contributes ideas on road safety.
You can find the articles of association and all accountability documents at the bottom of this page.
The board
The board is responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the Foundation. It consists of two executive board members and two non-executive board members. The non-executive board members supervise the executive board members. The board must consist of at least three people.
Esther van Garderen
Chair
Esther is the general director of the Fietsersbond, the advocacy organisation for all cyclists in the Netherlands. She has more than 30 years of experience in mobility and spatial development at several large municipalities, including more than 20 as a manager.
Esther studied political science and public administration in Amsterdam. She is married and has four children.
Femke Hendriks
Board member
Femke is a lawyer and an expert in collective actions. She was part of the 'lawyers' group' that formulated the recommendations that led to the current WAMCA legislation.
She has been involved in groundbreaking proceedings for affected consumers and investors in the Netherlands and abroad.
Femke is also chair of the foundation The Privacy Collective and chair of the ANCB, the Association of Dutch Collective Interest Representatives.
Ernst van der Putten
Board member
Ernst brings a strong financial and strategic background. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, governance and supervision. After studying business economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, he completed a postgraduate programme in business valuation at the Rotterdam School of Management.
Ernst has held various executive and supervisory positions in both profit and non-profit organisations. As an actively involved investor, he spends a significant part of his time on companies he has invested in. He also holds supervisory roles in the housing association sector.
Matthijs Geneste
Board member
Matthijs is Head of Europe at the British financial market data company Etrading Software (ETS). He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial sector in various strategic roles related to the capital markets, including at the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), LeasePlan, ABN AMRO Clearing and as a strategy consultant.
He advises the European Commission in the field of capital market data.
Matthijs studied History and Public International Law in Leiden. He is married and has four children. Matthijs and his children were confronted with a broken frame on their Babboe cargo bike.
For the affected cargo bike owner
Stichting Veilige Bakfiets does what it was founded to do: stand up for affected cargo bike owners. You can see this reflected in its organisation.
Dutch Claim Code 2019
Compliance with the code for interest organisations, with annual public accountability.
Governance
Executive management, supervision and funding are strictly separated; nobody holds a dual role.
Reasonable fee
The funder's fee is capped and reasonable.
Public reporting
Annual reports and accountability documents are published online. Registered participants are personally informed about the steps taken by Stichting Veilige Bakfiets.
Stronger together
The larger the group, the stronger we stand.
Join the collective action against Babboe by Stichting Veilige Bakfiets.