Salzburg launches S-Bike e-bike sharing scheme

Salzburg will launch a new e-bike sharing scheme on Monday, ORF reported. The system will begin with 200 bikes, with more than 600 expected to be available by the end of the year.

The city and state of Salzburg say the scheme is intended to provide an easily accessible alternative to cars. Users can unlock the S-Bikes through the Wegfinder app at more than 60 stations and return them to any S-Bike station.

The electric motors provide assistance up to 25 kilometres per hour. In traffic-calmed areas such as the old town, assistance is limited to 10 kilometres per hour. The bikes are tracked by GPS and cannot be unlocked without the app. Their batteries will be replaced regularly.

The system, including the leased e-bikes, will cost 1.2 million euros a year. The city and state will share the expense. The service will initially be limited to Salzburg, but state transport official Stefan Schnöll said it should eventually extend beyond the city because of strong commuter traffic.

City councillor Anna Schiester said surrounding municipalities should also join the scheme. The University of Applied Sciences in Puch-Urstein has already expressed interest in allowing students to travel there by S-Bike, she said.

Holders of the KlimaTicket public transport pass can use the bikes free of charge for the first 30 minutes. The standard price is three euros per 30 minutes, according to Johannes Gfrerer, managing director of the Salzburg Transport Association.

If the scheme is well received, the city plans to expand it to 1,000 bikes.