"Starting a bike-sharing system is part of a larger process of promoting alternative methods of transport that the capital has greatly begun to implement," said the capital.
They point out that the administration, apart from the infrastructural preconditions, has also created legislation, and that a Committee for the realization of this process, headed by the manager of the City, Dragutin Đeković, was formed.
Although it is not known when the inhabitants of Podgorica will be able to rent bicycles, the main city announces that ten stations will be set up at the start, and citizens will use bicycles with an electronic map which will also be used for the public traffic.
"The bike sharing system will cover the existing network of bicycle trails and provide a network of new ones that will be built. This will round off the cycling track project and improve the development of alternative methods of transport. Precise locations will be defined in the upcoming period to further contribute to the daily use of bicycles as a means of transportation," said the capital.
The representatives of NGO "Biciklo.me" recently stated that the announced launch of the bike sharing system is expensive. "Building a costly bike sharing system that includes electric bicycles, the cost of which is much higher than conventional, is inconsiderate because the costs exponentially increase, Podgorica's orography is plain, and the distances to be passed do not have a length of more than five kilometers, which does not justify this at this moment," stated the official Facebook page of this NGO.
The capital noted that they have in mind the sustainability of the system, the habits of citizens, and the economic moment.
"Of course, through the work of the Committee, we expect to define the optimal capacities that would be sufficient to meet the needs of the citizens from the start, as well as the relationship between electric and conventional vehicles," he said. They added that the Committee is conducting a comparative system analysis in the region and intends to introduce innovations through a public-private partnership instrument to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of the system.
"What is important to emphasize is that there is a general consensus that the introduction of such a system will be the future of Podgorica," concluded the Capital.
Text by Milica Djurovic, on July 3rd 2018, read more at Vijesti
