The Seoul city government said on the 12th that, to mark the 10th anniversary of the public bicycle Ttareungi, it will introduce a 3-hour Ttareungi pass starting on the 13th.
Ttareungi was inspired by the Canadian public bike BIXI in 2007 and was introduced in Oct. 2015. Currently, about 45,000 bicycles are in operation at about 2,800 lending stations across Seoul. As of September this year, cumulative membership stands at 5.06 million, and cumulative rides total 250.17 million.
Currently, under the day pass, Ttareungi users can borrow a bike for up to two hours at a time. To ride longer, they must return it after two hours and then borrow again.
As a result, among citizens and tourists who use Ttareungi for long periods in various parks including the Han River, there had been complaints that it was cumbersome. Also, the number of foreign tourists using Ttareungi has recently increased. From the start of this year through September, foreigners took 50,599 Ttareungi rides, 2.5 times more than in September 2019 (20,163).
The Seoul city government plans to keep improving Ttareungi's usage and maintenance systems.
Transportation Director Yeo Jang-kwon of the Seoul city government said, "Ttareungi has continued to evolve over the past 10 years to enhance convenience and safety for citizens," adding, "We will continue to provide a safer and more convenient public bicycle service through ongoing innovation."