Vienna’s public transport operator, Wiener Linien, is taking control over the city’s rental bikes after the previously responsible company, Gewista, announced that it will be shutting down some of its 121 stations due to financial difficulties.
The city’s rental bike scheme has proven to be a real hit among locals who have increasingly been using the vehicles on offer. Yet due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on movement, as well as the difficulties in maintaining hygienic standards throughout the entire service, it became financially unsustainable for Gewista to maintain it in its entirety.
Saving a crucial and much-loved service
In order to prevent the shut-down of the network, Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig gave the green light to Wiener Linien to take over management of the service. This way, it will remain in place and would allow locals to continue benefitting from this sustainable mobility scheme.
Upon announcing his decision, Mayor Michael Ludwig stated that “As the public mobility service provider of the City of Vienna, I have commissioned Wiener Linien to restore the operation of the entire city bike network as soon as possible in the interests of the Viennese.”
Once all legal details are finally worked out, the stations that were previously shut down will resume operations and the service will be up and running in its entirety. The contract for the management of the bike-sharing service signed between the city and Wiener Linien has a duration of 10 years and will allow the local government to substantially boost the service.
The service has over 500,000 registered users who made over 10 million trips over the course of 2019. By bringing it under the local government’s umbrella, authorities are making sure that bike-sharing will remain an excellent transport alternative that has plenty of opportunities for growth and expansion.
Source: TheMayor.EU
