No changes to the prices of city bike season passes, user charges simplified

Helsinki City Transports’ (HKL) Board of Directors has determined the user charges for the highly popular Helsinki City Bike Scheme in 2017. There will be no changes to the season pass prices, but the fees charged after 30 minutes of continuous bike use will be simplified.

 

Customers can choose a 25-euro season pass covering the entire city bike season, a weekly pass costing 10 euros or a day pass costing 5 euros. All passes enable customers to use the bikes for as many times as they want during the selected period for up to 30 minutes at a time. There will be changes to the extra fees charged for bike use in excess of the 30-minute time limit. In future, customers will pay one euro for every extra 30 minutes. Earlier, the fee went up for every extra 30 minutes.

For example, if you use the bike for the maximum amount of five hours, you will pay only nine euros instead of the earlier 14.5 euros.

All passes will continue to include up to 30 minutes of bike use at a time without extra charge. The time limit encourages users to return the bikes to stations when not needed to make the bikes available for as many people as possible. However, users are able to use the bikes for a maximum time of five hours at a time, for an extra fee.

With the expansion of the city bike network in 2017, the number of bike stations will increase.

The city bikes have been more popular than expected, with an exceptional amount of positive feedback. The extension of the city bike network in summer 2017 will improve public transport service level as an increasing number of people will be able to use the bikes e.g. to access public transport.

Registration for the next city bike season will begin in April 2017.