The cyclists in Lviv take the utmost pride in their bicycles. While there may be fewer cyclists in Lviv, then in neighboring Krakow for example, those who ride, try to do so in the uttermost style. These cyclists give us hope that someday soon we will see masses of everyday cyclists swarming the streets of Kyiv, Odessa and other Ukrainian cities.
Another exciting thing is that new developments in the transport and road city system seem to be stimulating local dwellers to switch from private cars and public transport to bicycles. In turn everybody witnesses a surge in all kinds of cycling. While parts of the cycling infrastructure still feel disjointed and disconnected, there are some shining sparks of hope that tempt locals to opt for cycling even if for a short distance rides: from parents with small children going to the city downtown to enjoy some family time together to hipsters heading to their jobs in funky bars and coffee-shops.
Read: Cycle Hype in Lviv
What adds to the cycle chic hope is a municipal bike rental system – the first one in Ukraine – that was launched in Lviv in 2015. Two Ukrainian companies – veliki.ua and Traffic Management – got a grant from the German company NextBike Gbmh and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to create a municipal bike rental system. Its benefits are availability and affordability.
This public bike-sharing initiative became super popular in Lviv over the last year. These days you can easily meet a banker in a smart suite rushing for a meeting or a cute couple heading for coffee on a NEXTBIKE rented bike.
There are currently 7 terminals for renting a Bike in Lviv. 16 terminals are announced to be launched in May 2017, which will be a major breakthrough in a local public bike-sharing system. The terminals are pick-up as well as drop-off locations. This means that you can rent a bike at the convenient for you location, which has available vehicles and drop it off at any functioning terminal in the city. The map of the NEXTBIKE stations in Lviv can be found under this link.
You can rent a bike in Lviv by terminal or app. You will be asked to enter your ID document number and a bike number, which you’d like to rent. Wait till system unlock choosen bike. If you are staying at the city for a longer period of time, better buy a season subscription, rent rates will be cheaper in this case.
After short registration in the system, clients will be asked to choose one of the proposed tariffs. A Monthly tariff is UAH 250 and will be available from 01.05.2017. If you choose this tariff, you can rent a bike for 30 minutes for free daily, next two hours will cost UAH 4 and each consecutive hour after that UAH 50.
«Pay as you go» tariff will be the best option for tourists and those who will visit Lviv for a short time. In this case, renting a bike in Lviv will cost UAH 50 per hour. In all tariffs if you rent bike longer than 12 hours, the cost of your ride will be UAH 1000. In case bicycle is not returned in 24 hours after it has been rented from the terminal, such bicycle is considered to be stolen and the client will have to pay a UAH 15000 fine. The access to system will be cancelled and client’s account will be automatically blacklisted. More information on tariffs and rates can be found under the link.
Read: Lviv Public Transport
Renting a bike in Lviv for even half a day when visiting the city this summer in order to explore its more remote attractions is a good alternative to using public transport or a cab. With its bike infrastructure developing each month, catching Lviv cycle hype is super easy.
Photo source: official web pages and social media profiles of businesses mentioned in the article. All images belong to their rightful owners.
