Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem have launched Phase II of the bike rental service (bike-share) by adding 950 pedal-assisted e-bikes (bikes operated by pedals and kinetic energy) and 95 stations.
RTA said the move has made the initiative the first completely pedal-assisted docked bike-share initiative in the worldRTA said the move has made the initiative the first completely pedal-assisted docked bike-share initiative in the worldThis brings the total number of bikes in Dubai to 1,750 bikes at 175 stations. RTA said the move has made the initiative the first completely pedal-assisted docked bike-share initiative in the world. The step is part of a multi-stage scheme to deploy 3,500 bikes at 350 docking stations across Dubai.
New stations
The new stations will be introduced at key areas across Dubai, which will include the new cycling track at Jumeirah Beach, Al Safa, Dubai Canal, Dubai Marina, Al Mamzar, Al Satwa, Jumeirah 1, Al Khwaneej, Al Jaffliya, Business Bay, Dubai Internet City, and Jumeirah Lakes Towers. More stations will be added in various districts during the upcoming expansion.
Careem Bikes have completed 1.592 million trips as of February.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA expressed his delight with the huge success of the joint venture between RTA and Careem for rolling out Dubai’s bike-share service. Al Tayer was also pleased by the growing habit of cycling as a sport and using bikes as an alternative and sustainable mean of mobility, which contributes in realizing the first and last-mile journey strategy.
570km-long cycling tracks
He said: “The bike-rental service advances the sustainability of Dubai and encourages residents and tourists to practice cycling on the 527km-long cycling tracks spread all over Dubai. It also supports RTA’s effort in boosting the integration of mass transit means by promoting flexible car-free mobility trips, and safely integrating them with daily means of transportation.”
Overall aim
Al Tayer added: “Thus, it serves the overall objective of reducing the use of private vehicles and switching to the use of other more sustainable means of transportation. The step will support the Dubai Government’s efforts to reduce the consumption of energy and pollution, and provide a healthier and happier environment as well as short-haul services [first and last mile] that helps public transport riders reach their final destinations.”
Bassel Al Nahlaoui, managing director of mobility at Careem, said: “We are expanding Careem BIKE in response to the incredible demand we have seen for micro-mobility transport across the UAE. More and more people are choosing to travel by bike, for work or leisure, and we are incredibly proud that Careem BIKE is doubling in size to become the first completely pedal-assisted docked bike-share initiative in the world. These efforts will contribute to the transition towards sustainable transport.”
How it works
Careem BIKE became the first bike-sharing scheme in the Middle East following Careem’s acquisition of the local company Cyacle. Today it is the official micro-mobility partner at Expo 2020 Dubai, offering a quick and sustainable way to travel around the world fair.
Careem uses smart systems for tracking and predicting high-occupancy areas. It also introduced solar-powered bicycle docking stations and manages rentals via the Careem BIKE app enabling customers to unlock the bikes by scanning the QR code on the bike or entering the five-digit code from the app at the bike docking station.
Residents and tourists can access pedal-assisted bikes through the Careem BIKE app as well as through purchasing as Careem BIKE daily pass (Dh20), weekly pass (Dh50), monthly pass (Dh75), or annual pass (Dh420, which works out to less than Dh2 per day).
Speed limit
The service covers many busy areas such as the Marina, Jumeirah Beach, JLT, The Greens, Dubai Canal, Dubai Media, Downtown Dubai, and Al Qudra as well as safe streets in Al Karama and Al Mankhool. RTA has set the speed limit of bicycles in the emirate at 30km/h on the designated cycling tracks for amateurs, and 20km/h on private tracks or tracks shared with pedestrians within urban areas. The speed is unspecified speed on training and professional tracks, such as Al Qudra Cycling Track, as part of RTA’s focus on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Safety first
Dubai prohibits riding bikes on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h and above. Such rules order the rider to get off the bicycle while crossing pedestrian crossings, wear a protective helmet and a reflective jacket, sit on the seat fixed to the bicycle, drive on the right side of the cycling track, avoid holding any moving vehicle or trailer while cycling, and avoid leaving bicycles in a way that obstructs vehicles or pedestrians.
