City Bikes offer everyone a free, easy, healthy and environmentally friendly way of getting around in the city centre.
The City Bikes have proven to be popular advertising objects as well.
The citizens of Copenhagen have a long and living tradition of using bicycles for daily transport. Approximately one third of commuters in Copenhagen travel to work by bicycle, one third by public transport and the last third by private cars. To further promote the use of bicycles, the city has taken an active role in the City Bike project.
Public bicycles free of charge
The City-Bikes are public bicycles that everyone is entitled to use. The bikes can be borrowed from the many City Bike racks with a small deposit, similar to the system of luggage carriers at airports. After use, the bike can be locked to any City Bike rack and the deposit is returned. This system ensures that the bikes not being used are available to other people as well.
For locals and tourists
City Bikes are a suitable extension of public transport. For instance, when arriving in Copenhagen city centre by bus or train, people can use City Bikes to travel to work or while shopping. Also, tourists have found the City Bikes to be an enjoyable, healthy and environmentally friendly method of sight-seeing. Simultaneously, the visitor can take part in the world-famous Danish bicycle culture.The project, which was started in 1994, is operated in cooperation by four partners: the foundation for City Bikes in Copenhagen, the advertising agency ARAS Outdoor, Cycle Imports of Scandinavia and the City of Copenhagen. Also the Ministry of Communication and Tourism as well as the Ministry of Culture and the "Wonderful Copenhagen" tourist organisation were involved in initiating the project.
Today, a considerable part of the financing comes from ten sponsors engaged in the project. They regard the City Bikes as very effective and visible advertising boards that move about in the city centre. The sponsors range from Coca-Cola to a local Girl Scouts Association but they are all interested in the green image created by advertising on the bikes.
These City Bikes have become a permanent part of Copenhagen and they are of great public interest both in Denmark and internationally. Actually, they have become a tourist attraction themselves like the famous Little Mermaid and Tivoli. In addition the bikes have made a real improvement to Copenhagen´s image as a "green", clean city with a healthy environment and a high quality of living. The aim is to increase the City Bike fleet to 5000 by the year 2000.
For more infromation on the City Bike project, please contact Ms Britta Krogh-Lund, tel: +45 33 66 26 58 or fax: +45 33 66 70 80.
