ToBike
| [TO]Bike | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Turin, Italy |
| Transit type | Bicycle sharing system |
| Number of stations | 116 active&under construction (193 planned&confirmed) |
| Daily ridership | 15000 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 5 June 2010 |
| Operator(s) | ToBike, Comunicare s.p.a. |
| Number of vehicles | 600 active (1300 planned&confirmed) |
[TO]Bike is the bicycle sharing system of the city of Turin. Planned between 2008 and 2009, it became operational in the summer of 2010.
Service
The service is operational 24 hours a day every day of the year. It is based on the Bicincittà system: every station is formed from 4 to 20 terminals (or more). Each terminal consists in a small metallic column with an RFID reader interface atop.This includes two LEDs: a green one for normal operation ad a red one to indicate malfunction or errors while reading users’ cards. A complementary piezo speaker acts with the leds to indicate the correct or incorrect reading of the user’s code. The user approaches his personal card to the terminal, which in normal conditions mechanically releases the bike. From that moment the bike released is available for a period of 30 minutes. All the terminals are connected together to create a network which allows to the user and to the service administration to locate the stations where the bike has been withdrawn and put down (every bike is equipped with its own RFID chip). The service is completed by a web platform, from which the user can check his credit, renew the subscription and keep track of all the trips made and the number of bikes used. An operator service through a free telephone number is also available 24 hours a day.
Bikes
The bikes adopted by the ToBike services are low-profile women model citybikes. The livery is inspired by the symbol-colours of the city: a yellow paint coats the entire main frame, while blue large stickers applied on it carry the name and the logo of the ToBike service. The equipment includes a 7-speed chain transmission, front and rear lights powered by a dynamo installed on the front wheel hub and, a metallic basket on the handlebar and a bell. On the left side of the junction between the handlebar and the rest of the structure is located the cylindrical locking joint that contains the identifying RFID chip and allows to lock it to the terminal. The wheels are made of aluminum alloy on which reinforced tires are mounted.
Rates
The annual cost of the service is of 25€, with a preventive 5€ addition in order to create a credit on the user’s account. In case the user exceeds from the 30’ canonic time for a single use of a bike, the service will apply fines and automatically scale sums from that credit. A 5€ global insurance against damages to third parties is also offered otionally. The offer also includes daily and weekly subscriptions.
Further development
Nowadays (2012) ToBike system consists of a growing number of bikes (which actually consists of about 600 units) and 116 stations among operational and under construction ones. It has recently been approved a further expansion of the service with 60 new stations to be defined and built. After a recent deliberation of the municipality of Turin, the system is moreover on the way to be linked with the BiciInComune services, operational in the near cities of Rivoli, Collegno, Grugliasco and Rivalta all operated with the Bicincittà technology too. The planned 116 stations should be all operational before the end of summer 2012. A further development planned the definition and construction of 60 additional stations to be ultimated within the end of the same year. This combined with the connection of the BiciInComune system will create a network of more or less 200 stations and a number of bikes of about 3000 units. The final target of the local administration however is to reach the total number of 290 stations in the next two years, but is to say that this further expansion is still under study and development. [1]
See also
Notes and references
- ^ "Il bike sharing si espande con 60 nuove postazioni". lastampa.it. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
External links