City bikes return to Turku in May-June

Turku city bikes, also known as Föli bikes, will be returning before summer. The new system is provided by Danish company Donkey Republic. There will be 700 bikes and about 70 bike stations, which means that the system is a considerable expansion from the previous one. As before, the bikes will be a part of Föli services.

App to use Föli bikes

The price of using a Föli bike depends on how long you use it. The right to use the bikes will also be included in Föli season tickets. The bikes are 7-speed bikes with handbrakes and aluminium frames. Users will open and close the electronic wheel lock with a smartphone app, which also displays information about the rental.

-In the old city bike system, customers had to sign up in an online service to use a bike. It was a hassle and it probably made people out the service. Being able to use a Föli bike with an app, it’s a big improvement and I believe that it will attract less likely to try new users to try out the city bikes, says

Risto Peltonen, Head of Transport Services.

The new city bike system includes stations with physical racks as well as virtual stations. In the Turku city centre area, the station network is based on stations with racks, and outside the city centre, the stations do not necessarily have any physical structures. Instead, users can check the location of the stations from the app.

Föli bike season continues all through October

Föli bikes are expected to arrive around May and June, and the city bike season will last until the end of October. In upcoming years, the city bike season will begin on 1 April and end on 31 October. The City of Turku also has an option for the winter season but has decided against it so far.

The previous city bike service in Turku was discontinued on 30 September 2021. The system suffered from technical issues throughout the contract period, with no resolution. The scale of the system also proved to be inadequate. The tendering process for the new system was organised in autumn 2021. The Urban Environment Board made a decision on the matter on 9 November 2021. The service provider was selected through an open procurement procedure where Donkey Republic was the sole bidder. The contract will be valid for four years.

Every Föli bike gets a unique name

There will be total of 700 Föli bikes, and each of them will get their own unique name. The name will read on the bike frame. Right now, everyone has the opportunity to participate in naming the bikes, because Föli is accepting name suggestions until 3 April at föli.fi/en/nameafölibike. Would you like to ride to work on a bike named after you?