Vienna steps in to save bike share scheme after operators hit financial difficulties
Expansion
A statement from the city said that as well as operating the existing Citybike network, Wiener Linien will also expand it, adding new stations as part of a drive to make bike-share more attractive for last-mile journeys.
The Citybike program, which was launched in 2003, has over 500,000 registered users and saw more than 10 million rides in 2019.
Gewistasaidit was already running the scheme in Vienna at a financial deficit and this had been worsened by the COVID-19 crisis. In July, the company announced that negotiations over subsidies had failed and it would close the 61 stations it had financed, which were mainly in the centre of Vienna.
The bikes are free to rent for the first hour and,according to reports, these journeys make up 95 percent of all rides.
Mobility leaders at arecent Cities Today Institute roundtable saidthe pandemic has shown how micromobility services such as rented scooters and shared bikes are now a crucial part of the transport mix in many cities, and more action may be needed to support them as such.
SHIFT is brought to you by Polestar.It’s time to accelerate theshiftto sustainablemobility. That is why Polestar combines electric driving with cutting-edge design and thrilling performance.Find out how.
Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
