City-bikes may appear in streets of Helsinki next summer after all

The bikes would be supplied by the outdoor advertising company that provided all city-bikes in Paris

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      Helsinki may be able to introduce a new city-bike system next summer, after all. In order to free a bike from the stand, people could use a travel card.
      Helsinki City Transport (HKL) has proposed that the outdoor advertising corporation JCDecaux would be chosen as the supplier of the new bikes.
      The company won the competitive bidding for a contract.
      ”It is not possible to get the city-bikes by the beginning of June, but maybe by July”, says Artturi Lähdetie, who took up his job as a new manager of the city-bike project two weeks ago.
     
JCDecaux is offering to supply Helsinki with a city-bike system similar to the one it provided in Paris. The number of bikes in the French capital is more than 20,000.
      In Helsinki, the aim is to provide a total of 500 bikes at the outset. The number of pickup/drop-off stations would be 34 for the summer.
      The new city-bikes would be modern bicycles with gears, which would be part of public transport in the centre of the city.
      To reduce vandalism and thefts, mini-computers at stands would monitor the pickups and drop-offs of the bikes.
      ”We are making every effort to launch this system”, Lähdetie says.
      ”Helsinki has been attempting to introduce new city-bikes for many years, and now the supplier clearly shows a similar willingness”, Lähdetie continues.
     
The new stock of city-owned bicycles is to be totally funded by means of advertisements. Helsingin Sanomat reported in December that the project was at risk of falling apart, as there were not enough suitable advertising spots.
      According to Lähdetie, suitable advertising spots have now been looked into. It has been proposed that in compensation for the bike system Helsinki would give JCDecaux about 45 to 125 advertising spots.
      If the HKL Board accepts JCDecaux as the supplier of the city-bike system on Thursday, more detailed negotiations can be commenced.
      ”In the negotiations, it will be found out whether the offered advertising spots are approved as adequate compensation”, Project Manager Lähdetie notes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki may have to abandon its plan to introduce modern city-bikes next summer (21.12.2011)
  Helsinki plans to launch bicycle hire service next summer (26.9.2011)

See also:
  Helsinki abandons free-to-use CityBikes (12.4.2010)
  Helsinki loses millions in advertising billboard revenue (17.1.2012)

Helsingin Sanomat