Velobike (Russian: Велобайк) is a bicycle-sharing system run by the city of Moscow, Russia.

Velobike
The "2.0" dockless e-bikes
The "2.0" dockless e-bikes
Station-based bikes. All of them, except one, are e-bikes
Station-based bikes. All of them, except one, are e-bikes
Overview
Native nameRussian: Велобайк
LocaleMoscow, Russia
Transit typeBicycle sharing system
Annual ridership4250000 (2018)
Websitehttps://velobike.ru/
Operation
Began operation2013
Operator(s)CityBike JSC (Russian: АО «СитиБайк»)
Number of vehicles4300

History

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The system was opened in 2013. In 2015 the 1st generation of the system was fully replaced by the Smoove-based solution using B’TWIN bicycles.[1][2]

In 2016, e-bikes were added to the service.[3] In 2018 e-bikes were replaced by a fleet of pedelecs.[4]

In 2018 there were 430 parking stations in the system with 4,300 bicycles. The system had 424,736 users registered and 4,25 million trips annually.[3]

In 2023, the new "2.0" e-bikes were introduced. Before 2023, Velobike operated as a docking station based system only, but with "2.0" e-bikes, it added dockless option too.[5] The "2.0" became four times more popular than standard, station-based bikes, both e-bikes and standard bikes.[6] As of 2023, more than 780 stations were available for users, around 10 thousand bikes were available, with 4 thousand of them being electric.[5][6]

Overview

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Smoove Box at the Velobike's handlebar[7]

A user has to pay by a payment card (Visa, Mastercard, Mir) for a subscription to the system either at the web site, mobile app or the Velobike's station terminal (where available). Access to a bicycle is arranged by account number (user ID) / PIN pair. A Troika transport card can also be used instead of the account number.[8][9]

The system has been sponsored by a number of Russian banks. First, by the Bank of Moscow, then by the Sberbank and later on by the VTB Bank. The capital costs are covered by a sponsor while operating costs are covered by the city.[10]

Subscription plans

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User can buy subscription on day/week/month or seasonal plans to unlock savings on rides lasting one hour or less. There is an additional charge for time over the limit.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Moscow Launches VeloBike with Smoove Bike Share Equipment". Cyclehop. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  2. ^ "SHARED CYCLING BOOMS IN RUSSIA". Think Russia. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b "4,25 миллиона поездок за шесть месяцев: сезон велопроката в Москве завершен". Официальный портал Мэра и Правительства Москвы. 2018-11-02.
  4. ^ "До 25 километров в час: в столичном прокате появились электровелосипеды новой модели". Официальный сайт Мэра Москвы. 2018-11-13.
  5. ^ a b "Больше никаких портов: новые электровелосипеды начнут давать в аренду в московском «Велобайке»". Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  6. ^ a b "Велосамокатный сезон завершён — нерешённые вопросы остались". TR.ru — Транспорт в России (in Russian). 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  7. ^ "Байкшеринговый сервис на электровелосипедах Smoove захватывает города". ЭкоТехника (in Russian). 2018-02-27.
  8. ^ "Moscow Lifehack: How Do I Use Moscow City Bikes?". The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times. 6 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Frequently asked questions". Velobike.
  10. ^ Дмитрий Герасимов (2016). "Где зимует велопрокат". Веломосква.
  11. ^ "How much does it cost". Velobike.
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