Hradec Králové will have shared e-bikes again

The operator will provide at least 250 shared bikes in the city, of which 220 will be conventional and 30 will be electric. For conventional bikes, the first 15 minutes of the ride will be free thanks to the city’s subsidy, after that, the cost will be one crown per minute of riding. For e-bikes, users will pay two crowns per minute; without the city subsidy, the amount would have been several crowns higher.

Until now, nextbike offered 250 conventional bikes in Hradec Králové, with the first 15 minutes being free. The service has been available in the city since July 1, 2022. The city currently supports the operation of shared bikes with approximately 200,000 crowns per month, based on the number of bikes rented. This year, the city received a subsidy of 500,000 crowns from the Hradec Králové Region for the operation of shared bikes.

„Shared bikes have become a daily means of transportation in our city, used by more than 2,000 cyclists per month. They are most often used by students or young people who choose bikes as a faster and more ecological alternative to other forms of transport. This is exactly the kind of mobility we want to support in our city,“ said Řádek.

The most frequent users of shared bikes in Hradec Králové are students. The busiest routes are near the university dormitories, the Futurum shopping center, the faculty hospital, and the main train station. The highest number of rentals in the past year was in October, around 19,000, and the lowest was 5,500 in January of this year.

Shared bikes are also a popular means of transportation during various cultural or sporting events.

In the Hradec Králové Region, subsidized shared bikes are also available in Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Vrchlabí, Rychnovsko, Hořice na Jičínsku, Jičín, and Trutnov. Everywhere, the first 15 minutes of riding are free.

The service is supported by subsidies from the city halls, the Hradec Králové Region, and the Škoda Auto Foundation, which has a gearbox manufacturing plant in Vrchlabí and a car manufacturing plant in Kvasiny, Rychnovsko. The bikes are operated by nextbike Czech Republic in all these locations.