The well-known use of shared bicycles in Central Bohemia is also offered free of charge by Prague. But otherwise
You can travel to Lítačka not only by metro, tram, bus, trolleybus or train (but also by ferry or cable car): you can now also step on the pedals where it was not necessary to pedal on your own; or wait a long time to get the connection. So far in trial mode. Following the example of some developed metropolises, the capital is testing the integration of the shared bikes of Rekola (pink bicycles) and Nextbike (with a blue or “green” motif) into the public transport system.
If it proves successful, the PID model may extend to Central Bohemia in the future. The interconnection of public transport and cycling is expected here. Not everyone perceives this with enthusiasm: for example, opponents of the disturbance of the locals are opposed to the fact that the representatives of the region are said to offer seniors to go to the doctor on the bike path instead of by train.
Prague is catching up with the experience of Central Bohemia
“I think that a successful pilot project in Prague would be a great springboard not only for Prague, but also for other cities,” remarked Tomáš Karpov from Nextbike. Nevertheless, he speaks for a company that does not only operate in the capital. In Mladá Boleslav, it operates 140 shared mechanical bicycles and 10 e-bikes (but these can only be returned at official stations).
In the Beroun region, the company now has 112 shared e-bikes at 17 charging terminals in Beroun, Hýskov Králové Dvůr, Tetín and Zdice. The local users already use it for free for the first 15 minutes – although not thanks to the connection with the payment for public transport. This is a project of the Tipsport Foundation, which is to last until 2024.
In Mladá Boleslav, the offer of the first 15 minutes applies free of charge to every rental in the case of mechanical bicycles. Shared Nextbike bikes can also be found in Central Bohemia in Bakov nad Jizerou, Mnichov Hradiště or Říčany – here also with the first quarter of an hour free of charge – and in Kladno.
In the capital, holders of electronic time coupons (monthly, quarterly and yearly) can use the bicycles of these operators free of charge for up to a quarter of an hour’s ride, even four times a day. If the user exceeds the time, the standard rate applies. This can help Central Bohemians, for example, to get to its final destination more easily and quickly from urban transport in Prague. Shared bicycles can be found, for example, in bicycle stands near selected metro stations – and stands will also appear at tram stops considered interchanges.
Electronic accounts need to be linked
Whoever decides to use the option of a free 15-minute bike ride in Prague – or just try it out – must work with mobile applications for a while at the beginning. Your coupon for public transport (ie an electronic subscription ticket that can be uploaded for the Lítačka treatment, in the Píta Lítačka mobile application or linked to a regular payment card or the Czech Railways In Card) must be linked to the applications of shared bicycle operators. This means downloading to the Rekola or Nextbike mobile application – the same one used for regular bike rental; many people probably already have it recorded.
In this mobile application, it is necessary to link the account within bikesharing with the user account in the Píta Lítačka system. It means logging in with an e-mail and a password from Lítačka. If the user has a problem with this (perhaps because he does not remember the password), you can use forgotten password recovery on www.litacka.cz.
After successfully linking the Lítačka account with bikesharing, it’s done: the system already remembers everything for the next bike rental. At least temporarily: as part of an autumn pilot project. After its completion (the date will only be announced) and the evaluation of the Prague management, it will decide what will happen next. In some form, permanent connection to the PID system must be taken into account.