Only cheap wheels, then E-scooter and finally, the Corona-crisis: laid-back, it was the last rare on the market for a rental bike provider in Germany. With new wheels, and more cooperation with the cities of the Deutsche Bahn wants to keep up.
Berlin (dpa) – With new bikes and a closer cooperation with the cities of the bikes-supplier of the Deutsche Bahn, DB Connect itself, in the increasing competition stronger.
“We are already planning for next year with a new Generation of our bikes,” said Jürgen Gudd, managing Director of DB Connect, the German press Agency. Up to 7000 of these new Call-a-Bike-wheels will initially be set up in North Rhine-Westphalia set up – where, exactly, remained still open.
In the coming years the fleet will be retrofitted also in other Federal States, one after the other. The new wheels are easier to use, easier to ride and better protected against vandalism. Still, the prototype is put in the development.
Also, the design of the wheels will change. Where DB Connect with his rental bike service Call a Bike the bid in public tenders, to determine the municipalities with the Design. “First and foremost, we are the operator for the cities. We understand ourselves as a service provider,” said Gudd. The Call-a-Bike-Loko dip on the wheels, but only as a small Logo on the frame. In Hamburg and Stuttgart the wheels are already in the look of the regions.
In Berlin, in turn, DB Connect, had lost the contract some years ago the competitors ‘ next bike and was entered into a cooperation with the Discounter Lidl. This expired recently and was not renewed.
The market for bikes, by App unlock is as stiff as ever. For a long time next the bike and the DB Connect with your station based Offered almost the only competitors were. A few years ago, many Southeast Asian businesses with colorful and lightweight bicycles flooded the streets, where they could be parked at any location. Many of the companies have since withdrawn again. Last summer, a new competitor came on the market with the electric scooters but.
when asked, DB Connect itself is aware of. “There are products interesting Lifestyle and there are mobility products,” said Gudd. For the wheels, it was the Latter. While the scooter company would be mainly tourists and young people for short distances of one to two kilometers in the view were bikes to a wider age group and longer distances.
“In the first year, we have perceived the scooter hardly,” said Gudd. “This was perhaps also due to the fact that the scooters are very late in the summer on the market and now during the Corona times your offer greatly reduced.”
the effects of The crisis have, however, also felt DB Connect, even if the company calls numbers there is no user. “Yes, we are affected by the Numbers from the Corona issue, because we can make very strong commuter links, and because in the tourist Segment, what is eliminated. But it is not nearly as bad as we thought.” For the mobility behavior of the people of Corona would mean, at most, a Dent. “We firmly believe that the topic of Cycling continues to boom.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:200623-99-527656/2
