Prague will allow holders of time coupons for public transport 15 minutes of free use of shared bicycles. What do you promise from the project?
We were already at the beginning, the preparation took a lot of time. We originally wanted to launch it earlier, not in the fall, it took a bit longer due to the techniques. But I’m glad the city will launch in October.
What will the cooperation between the city and the operators of shared bicycles look like?
It will be open to all possible bike operators. That is the key. The city will not tend to a single operator. It might be easier for the city. But I think that the chosen procedure is better for Praguers. In fact, with each ride, they tend to provide the provider who they think is the best. The city will then pay the providers for the journeys. Basically, the end user may no longer care. His profile on the flyer will be connected with the bikesharing application. We will test the project by the end of the year, the initial budget of the city for the beginning is 2.4 million.
What do you see as the main benefits of the project?
We have been trying to cooperate with public transport for a long time, not only in Prague. We try to offer an alternative to traveling by car. And the combination of public transport with bikesharing can be the fastest way.
There can be a lot of Praguers with a time coupon who have not ridden pink bikes yet. Do you expect to see a significant increase in users?
Maybe yes. However, the level of infrastructure determines the use of bikesharing in any city in the first place. If users are afraid, they will not sit on the bike, even if it is free. If they are not afraid, they will be happy to pay a multiple of today’s prices.
Will Prague’s cooperation with companies on the market of “shared” means of transport deepen, or is it just a random event?
We would like it not to be accidental. Recently, the Vyšehrad closure was canceled, and we provided alternative bicycle transport there. Formerly also on the Libeň Bridge. At the time, however, it was “punk.” We built bikes there and only then discussed with the city. Today we would proceed differently. We know that we are in a public space and how easy it is to damage it, albeit unintentionally.
When did you “get burned” like this?
At the beginning of the business, I had no idea that the bike could interfere with someone at the foot of the house. However, the visually impaired use the heel as a blind line. If you park your bike there, you will complicate their lives a lot. Moms with prams also have to fit on the sidewalk. We try to be careful.
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How does the approach of the Prague City Hall and individual city districts to bikesharing and similar services differ?
Lots of. Everyone sees it differently. We are very happy to work with the “seven”, for example. The infrastructure is gradually being created there. I do not only mean storage stands, but also the speed limit of 30 km / h. I’m not saying that the bike is the only suitable means of transport. It’s about the right mix. I also don’t make morning toast with a flamethrower. When I go from Letná to Jungmaňák, I don’t get in the car, but reach for my bike. It is the fastest for this route. Other times I take public transport, a car, or just walk away.
Where abroad should Prague be inspired, which cities find a suitable compromise?
Paris is very inflected. For the second term, the mayor holds the concept of a “fifteen-minute city”. It is connected with micromobile infrastructure, humanization of cities. The role of the city, I think, is to give freedom to all residents in equal proportions. Interestingly, the Dutch also solved their cycle paths.
As?
If there is a certain maximum permitted speed on the road, I suspect 30 km / h, then the cycle path must be physically separated from the road. A color-separated lane on the road is nice, but it won’t save your life. The separate infrastructure is to continue to grow in Prague. The very quiet Oslo is also inspiring. It has set a low maximum speed for cars, the whole of Norway supports the purchase of electric cars. You can drive through the city many times faster on the saddle of a bicycle than behind the wheel. Do you need to transport anything? Clearly. We understand. You will have it more comfortable on a bike. Don’t you want to? Okay. But you’ll have it longer. The city is not inflatable, the bike is nice, it is small.
However, even with small bikes, a great aversion can arise if residents have to cross bikes thrown on the sidewalk.
We are trying to improve. In many cities, we follow the path of the station model, where you put the bike in a stand. This model requires enough such space. Some Prague districts reject this, but a positive example is Prague 3. It has built hundreds of storage places. It has appeared in the media that city districts are unable to negotiate with scooter providers, such as Lime. The “troika” managed it and the providers respect the station model in the area. The market is gradually cultivating.
When we started in 2013, the bikes were recycled, we painted them with a brush on the weekends and drank them. Since then, the company and the perception of the wheel in general have shifted. Previously, they were used only by the most avid fans, today it is a normal mode of transport. Lots of people find relaxation in them and just go for a ride. Abroad, this is doubly true. Cities have persuaded some citizens not to run from public transport to cars during the pandemic, or at least not to go to the centers and get on their bikes.
Has Rekola earned her since she was founded?
Long time ago. Of course, we imagined last year differently, for example. Like last year, we spent about 26 million. What hit us the most was that we had bikes ordered at the beginning of the year, but in reality they came much later. We are on a growth trajectory.
So the number of users and rides is increasing?
Gradually yes, we currently have approximately 340 thousand users and two thousand bicycles, half of which are in Prague. Borrowing is up to 150 thousand per month. We also had e-bikes and we are working on how to proceed with them. We try to make the ride comfortable and users can integrate it into their transport calculation. Riding an analog bike will be much cheaper for a long time than riding an e-bike. The question is whether people will want to pay extra for an e-bike. E-bikes may increase faster in smaller cities, which tend to be more willing to pay for them.
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Will you add new cities?
We want to grow into those over fifty thousand inhabitants. The business must operate either on the basis of the fare paid by the users or on the basis of a B2B partnership. This is how we work with Staropramen, Lidl or Jysk, for example, as well as if you have a multisport card, you go for free. This allows us to enter smaller cities. The smallest bikesharing tend.
Ondřej Fryc invested tens of millions in Rekol, did the investment return to him? Will other investors come to Rekol?
With this return, it’s more complicated. The entry of another investor is one of the alternatives. Discussions will take place now, we will see what opportunities will arise in the market. We solve the number of bikes and their location: the Czechia, Slovakia, abroad. We mainly look to the east and we see a lot of possibilities to move people. For example in Bratislava.
Are the approach of the Slovak capital and Prague to bikesharing different?
I keep my fingers crossed for Bratislava. It probably has less complicated legislation and the city does wonderful things with the infrastructure – it is growing much faster than the Prague one. Bratislava taught Prague a lesson, our metropolis can be inspired.
Do you plan to stay in the company, or do you have a possible sale in your head?
I still enjoy it. We have something to offer, we are still at the beginning of the story and we can drive people. If we were selling a cell phone, we would be at a stage when the original Motorola came to market. There are no shared bikes in the “smartphone” phase.
Today, people often have to pay extra for buying a new bike, and they are waiting for it longer. It makes life difficult for you too…
It’s more complicated. Delivery times are longer, even for components. We need to plan much more carefully. We have problems mainly with repairs. Spare parts are not available. We have been waiting for a shallot for a year. Maritime transport capacity, by which bicycles or components travel to Europe, has become up to ten times more expensive. This speaks to rising prices.
What is the future of shared services?
Sharings give freedom. You put the bike or car away and you are no longer interested. This may work for young people in the future. In Central and Eastern Europe, bicycles have not yet been seen as a transport alternative. That is changing. The question is whether users will not migrate elsewhere, but connecting to public transport can definitely help us.
The parliamentary elections are approaching, will you support the Pirates? Among other things, from their work at the Prague City Hall, it may seem that they are closest to the concept of shared services.
I’ll look at the candidates first. I will elect either the Pirates with STAN or the Coalition Together. Rekola is not political, we will not stick it with party promotional materials. But we are considering giving everyone free rides – in the name of democracy.
Vít Ježek
While he did not correctly estimate and burn his first target group, on the second try he hit and started the business of pink bikes. Originally, Ježek promised the largest income from tourists in Prague, but Rekola’s growth was made possible only by a reorientation towards Dejvice students. Ježek specializes in IT solutions, co-owned technology studio Mangoweb, which develops various applications and websites. In business, he was most influenced by the book Running Lean.
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