Lahti introduced 250 e-citybikes for citizens use to increase well-being, health, and sustainability. The pilot period was 1.9.-31.10.2021.
Lahti has chosen to implement a city bike system of 250 electric bicycles that were tested as a pilot phase from September to October 2021. The two-month pilot phase collected user experiences. The official start of city bikes is 1 April 2022 and the season will run until the end of October 2022. Based on the interest, the number of bikes might double, and the service might be available all year-round. The bicycle deal is in place for the next five years. The city aims to receive sponsors from private and local businesses thus they get visibility in form of a logo on the bicycle.
The price for the September and October 2021 trial was €10, which included an unlimited number of 30-minute journeys. The first bikes were introduced at the beginning of September 2021, at the launching event in the city center with a bike service point for repairing your own bike.
The city bike was named Mankeli (Lahti slang for using bicycle). The name was resolved by a public vote. The city received more than 500 name suggestions from the citizens. Mankeli name is taped to the steering wheels of the bikes, and it can also be seen on the rental stations, which are around 30 in the city of Lahti. The bikes can be returned at any of the stations.
Electric bikes were specifically wanted in Lahti, as the city is famous for having high hills. Mankeli bikes are an essential addition to the development of public transport and are part of the Lahti Green Capital 2021 initiative.
Resources needed
Lahti city funded the city bikes. An outsourced company takes care of the bikes, the customer service, and the rental system / mobile app. They switch empty batteries to full ones and level the number of bikes at stations. The service costs are about 500.000€/ year.
Evidence of success
Altogether there were 2955 Mankeli users in the pilot period September-October 2021.
The number of rentals varied between 143 and 588 / day. The most popular renting stations were market Square and university campus. Mankeli bicycles were popular and got good feedback. The final day of the pilot period more than 50 citizens cycled together in order to celebrate the city bikes.
Difficulties encountered
Fixed usage rates are not yet defined. They will be redefined for the next season. In addition to the one-time payment, there will be more options like a one-day, weekend, and seasonal fee. The balance of the availability of the bikes in various stations is important.
Potential for learning or transfer
The use of the Mankeli bike requires downloading and registering the app. The mobile app shows the bicycle availability and the amount of battery that is left on the bike. The minimum age for registration is 15 years.
The price for the two months pilot period was 10-euros, which included unlimited number of uses for half an hour ride. If citizens use the same bike for more than half an hour, there was an extra charge for every 30 minutes.
The bikes are subject to a five-year contract. The city has the option of redeeming the bikes for further years and extending the running time for the winter months, as well as increasing the number of city bikes. A similar city bike system was implemented in Kuopio city in Finland in 2020, among other cities. There, the popularity of the bikes was so great that there was no time to change the batteries at the same rate.
Tags: Circular economy, Citizens, Good practice, Public transport
