Record-breaking use of shared bikes in Přerov; city will expand the network of bike racks

The city plans to increase the number of bike racks next year, said Deputy Mayor Tomáš Navrátil (ANO) to journalists. The city covers the cost of renting a bike for the first 15 minutes. The city council allocated nearly two million crowns for this purpose this year, but the final amount will likely be higher.

„The busiest place is the train station, followed by the Trumf shopping center and Předmostí. Next are the stations near the sports hall, TGM Square, the station near the Galerie center, Velká Dlážka, and I am pleased that high school students also use the bikes, as we recorded 830 rentals at the Jakub Škoda Gymnasium,“ said Deputy Mayor Navrátil. „Next year, we want to install new racks so that cyclists know where to return the bikes,“ he added.

In October, the residents of Přerov rented shared bikes 27,500 times, which is an increase from 24,000 the previous month and 21,000 rentals in August. According to Navrátil, this adds up to nearly 90,000 rentals. „The interest really surprised us. We have a total of 140 bikes, and initially, we expected each bike to be rented three times, as in Prostějov, for example. The last month showed us that they were rented up to six times. It’s a positive thing, and we are pleased to be at the forefront of such a trend in the entire country,“ added the deputy mayor.

The city covers the cost of renting a bike for the first 15 minutes. This year, it allocated nearly two million crowns from the budget for this purpose, and for the next year, it plans 3.2 million crowns. After the initial free 15 minutes, users pay 25 crowns for each additional half-hour.

„The allocated amount, which is allocated for the service from the city’s budget, is subject to competition, but we can manage it, and we can use funds from the next year. The amount may increase later, but we will address that in 2024,“ said the deputy mayor. „It is senseless to dampen this activity, even if the city has to subsidize it in the future. The public has gotten used to it; it is being used remarkably often. Even if rentals are higher next year than we anticipated, I see it as a benefit, and the city should certainly find the means for it,“ added Mayor Petr Vrána (ANO).

Shared bikes will be available to people in Přerov until December. After the winter break, the service will resume and continue again until December. Specially marked bikes with the city’s emblem can now be returned at forty designated stations, available throughout the city, including its 13 local parts.

According to its website, Nextbike Czech Republic operates a shared bike system in 35 cities. In the new year, however, in places like Krnov, the operation of shared bikes will be taken over by a competitor – Rekola.