The yellow city bikes took over the cityscape of Turku again in April. The bikes will also be enjoyed in the coming years, as the current contract with Donkey Republic has been signed until 30.4.2026.
- The agreement includes options for additional years, says Jere Sipponen, Project Coordinator at the City of Turku.
There are about 200 fölläri stations and a total of 700 bikes in the city area. This year, Terveystalo became the main sponsor of the city bike system, which can be seen on the advertising surfaces of the bikes.
An increasing number of Turku residents are also covered by city bikes, as the station network expanded to Pansio and Perno this season.
- Some of the large grocery stores in Turku are committed to joining us as station locations. In the future, shopping trips will also be convenient on the fölläri bikes, Sipponen rejoices.
The travel chain supports the use of waterbuses and city bikes
Travel chains combine different modes of transport during a single trip. Within the city, the journey can, for example, start with a fölläri and continue with a waterbus. For longer distances, you can bicycle to the station and continue your journey by train.
Travel chains have been considered in the placement of fölläri stations. A bicycle park came to Kupittaa this summer, and the bus station has been around for a long time.
The city also reacted to problems caused by travel chains. In Varissuo, for example, bicycles have gathered near the bus stop, which is why the city is planning park-and-ride facilities on the site, Sipponen says.
In the centre of Turku and at the most important transport hubs, fölläri bikes have physical stations. Outside the center, the stations are largely virtual.
- They are located, for example, in connection with bus stops or shops. There has been a desire to form natural travel chains in such a way that the bikes would be moved on their own. The operator wouldn't have to be always balancing the number of bikes.
The city has looked with the operator at those stations that were among the most popular last season. At these stations, the level of service is higher, that is, the number of bikes are replenished more often.
Pop-up stations provide additional connectivity for travel chains
Fölläri bikes are included in the price of Föli's travel cards with 30 days or longer periods. In addition, a person who has ordered a monthly or seasonal product from Donkey Republic has the right to use city bikes maintained by the company also in other Finnish cities or abroad.
- It doesn't immediately occur to you that this also supports the travel chain, even internationally.
On the city's service map, it is possible to see the real-time situation of city bike stations. A small number of stations may be added during the season.
- Station suggestions keep coming. We will estimate on a case-by-case basis whether we can add it or not.
In connection with major events, travel chains can also be expanded by establishing temporary pop-up stations, which have existed in Turku, for example, in connection with Ruisrock and Knotfest.
Sipponen has received a lot of positive feedback on the operating time of city bikes. Previously, it was allowed to ride a bike for 30 minutes, after which additional charges began to spin, but today the operating time is longer.
-Some people may have been surprised that a city bike costs 6 euros per month, and you are always allowed to ride for an hour at a time.