Public bicycle rental systems in Poland have changed significantly over the past 14 years, when the first one was launched in Krakow. Do cities still need their own two-wheelers, and how will popular rentals change in the near future?
it started in Krakow
Photo: Wikimedia
The first municipal bicycle rental system was launched in Krakow in 2008. The BikeOne system operated for three years and offered only 100 vehicles available at 12 stations. Co-financed by EU funds, the system was expanded with 4 more stations and 20 bikes, but this did not translate into popularity. An additional obstacle was the obligation to pay a deposit. The system changed operators, operating rules and even its name (eventually KMK Bike) many times, which should not be surprising given its pioneering status in Poland.
unexpected end of wavelo
photo: Wikimedia
The new system was launched in 2016 when Wavelo took off. The company BikeU, selected in a tender, offered a rental service with bicycles equipped with on-board computers that could be returned anywhere. The bicycles were devoid of advertising - the operator derived all of its revenue from subscription fees. At its peak, Wavelo had 1,500 bikes and 150 stations, open year-round, setting the system apart from others of its kind in the country. Wavelo's unexpected end came in 2019. The operator, five years before the scheduled end of the contract, decided to terminate it. After the system was shut down, bikes as used ones could be purchased on classifieds sites.
after the new
Since BikeU terminated the contract, no public bicycle system has been operating in Krakow. The city plans to bring it back, but based on a new formula - urban rental of regular and electric bicycles in a long-term system. Such a solution is to be more adapted to market conditions and provide users with a guarantee of fast repair or replacement of the bike within the subscription fee. The new bicycles are currently being tested and it is hard to predict when the new system will be launched.
the most popular veturilo
Photo: ZTM Warsaw
Thelargest urban bicycle system in the entire Central and Eastern European region is Warsaw's Veturilo. The capital has more than 5300 bicycles spread over nearly 400 stations. Operated by Nextbike, the system is the most classic of the existing solutions, where bicycles are rented by the minute, and the possibility of returning them is limited to the stations. Just before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city decided to refresh the system and issued a tender for a new operator. The first tender to operate the system for 2021-2028 was cancelled, as the only bid as received exceeded the budget.
veturilo in a new way
Another tender was settled in May 2022, with Nextbike GZM submitting the only bid. The new Veturilo is to have up to 5500 bicycles in the maximum version . The core of the system will be 3,000 bicycles assigned to 300 stations throughout Warsaw. In addition, the possibility of financing the new rentals directly by district offices will return, as was the case in previous years. The design of the new contract provides Warsaw with the option to buy up to 2,500 bicycles, either as part of "district stations" or as a result of the city's decision. An important novelty will be the complete abandonment of computer terminals at the stations. Such devices are expensive to manufacture and operate, while more than 90 percent of all rentals are made via a mobile app.
At the station or outside it
Each rental point will consist of regular racks. All of these structures will be owned by the city. This allows them to serve all cyclists even outside the Veturilo season. The racks will be standard, without the electric lock that currently holds the bike at the station. Instead, each bike will have an immobilizing wheel lock and a GPS receiver. The station itself will also be GPS-enabled, allowing users to determine the "station area" in which to return the bike. This also opens the way for the possibility of returning bikes outside the stations. For an additional fee, those using the system will be able to do so anywhere. An interesting novelty will be the organization, at the request of the city, of up to ten temporary stations at a time. These will be totems with a return zone set up for a maximum of 48 hours, on the occasion of sports or cultural events.
Late Kielce
Photo: Wikimedia
There has never been an urban bicycle rental service in the capital of the Swietokrzyskie region. This is set to change this year, and in fact it was already supposed to - but the city scored a delay, and the start of the rental service was postponed from May to June and the beginning of the vacations. The problem is the supply of bicycles imported from China. Kielce City Bicycle is to have 250 bikes in 57 stations, the locations of which are based on proposals from consultations with NGOs. 25 bicycles will have electric assistance, and five tandems and 10 cargo vehicles will also be purchased. It will be possible to return the bicycle both at the station and at any other location. The price is not yet set but the bike ride is expected to be cheaper than public transportation.
