A first in Geneva: TaxiBestial – a soft mobility service to take pets to the vet

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Dreamed up by the Bestiaire du Rhône veterinary office in collaboration with TaxiBike, and supported by the City of Geneva’s G'innove programme, this new service will enable pet owners to have their “best friend” taken to see the vet in complete safety by cargo bike.

The inauguration will be held on Thursday 20 August at the Bestiaire du Rhône veterinary office in la Jonction and will be attended by Administrative Councillor Alfonso Gomez, with various activities organised in accordance with the current health measures. See Facebook event.

An innovative project

Recognised by the cantonal veterinarian, TaxiBestial is an innovative soft mobility project which reduces pollution in the city centre and helps people with reduced mobility – senior citizens or handicapped people – or people with a very busy schedule. It allows people to have their pet (cats and small and medium-sized dogs) taken to see a vet for non-urgent care and scheduled examinations, and can also be used for other visits (grooming, kennel, etc.).

This electric cargo bike is one of a kind: it is equipped with a secure, well-ventilated transport cage and is driven by the staff of the TaxiBike company who have been trained to transport animals. A driver will pick the animal up at its home and take it to its destination. For example, a single journey within the city centre will cost CHF 30 (including handling). The journey can be reserved by calling the Bestiaire du Rhône veterinary office directly on 022 320 43 43 or be sending an e-mail to @email

With the support of the City of Geneva

The City of Geneva’s support for this initiative is in line with a desire to promote professional soft mobility solutions more widely in order to foster the use of environmentally-friendly transport in the city centre and to reduce carbon emissions which contribute to climate change. This also helps improve the quality of life in the city by reducing both noise and pollution levels. This support complements the City’s support for the association Les artisans à vélo, which brings together several professionals active in the field of soft mobility and promotes this type of transport.

In the long term, pilot projects such as TaxiBestial will be deployed more broadly in numerous sectors. Finally, information concerning the possibility of obtaining a subsidy for the purchase of a cargo bike or a similar device in the City of Geneva is available online.