Bike-sharing stands in Bratislava (source: TASR)
White stands with a yellow-black sign announcing the arrival of jointly used bicycles started appearing in Bratislava at the end of this spring. Word that Bratislava was implementing a system for renting bicycles, so-called bike-sharing, got around quickly.
The city office, together with the Slovnaft company, have prepared – for two million euros – a bicycle system connecting the capital’s boroughs of Ružinov, Staré Mesto, Nové Mesto and Petržalka.
Even though it should have been launched at the beginning of the summer holidays, yellow bicycles only just started appearing on streets this September.
“Better to make it thoroughly and well than hastily,” Mayor Ivo Nesrovnal explained in an interview for Sme in mid-August. The delay was allegedly caused by laws in personal data protection as renting a bike will be conditioned with registration.
In the first phase, 500 bicycles in Bratislava are ready to be rented at 70 stations. Gradually, the number of stations should increase to 90, and the number of bicycles to 750.
Lack of information
It is still not clear yet how much renting bikes in Bratislava will cost. Both investors and city officials have so far focused just on the promotion of the whole project. Members of the Cyklokoalícia (Cycling Coalition) civic association complain about a lack of information, too.
