Tel Aviv's iconic bicycle rental service to be discontinued
Launched in April 2011, usage has declined steadily in recent years due to the expansion of the electric bike and scooter market.
By EYTAN HALONTel Ofan 370(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Tel Aviv's iconic green bicycle rental program Tel-O-Fun will be discontinued in August after more than nine years of operations, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality said on Thursday.Launched in April 2011, usage has declined steadily in recent years due to the expansion of the electric bike and scooter market. The contract with operator FSM Ground Services was due to expire in January 2021, but will be shortened by five months."The Tel-O-Fun system was a great success and greatly assisted the integration of bicycles as a major and legitimate vehicle in the city," said mayor Ron Huldai."Today, when the private market offers good alternatives for shared riding, there is no justification for investing public money in a service with low demand. Just like the public telephones that became redundant and were removed from the public domain to prevent interference - now is time [for Tel-O-Fun]."Some 186 Tel-O-Fun stations located around the city will be dismantled. To date, the system and its 1,860 bikes have enabled approximately 14 million rides to both subscribers and one-off users.Huldai said the municipality will continue to invest "tens of millions of shekels" on an annual basis to pave bicycle lanes, including 20 kilometers of new routes this year. The municipality is also currently considering the launch of an electric bicycle rental service. Later this year, the municipality plans to publish a strategic plan to increase personal vehicle journeys to 20% of all trips within the city by 2025."We are thankful to the operator and the hundreds of thousands of riders who have made journeys on the Tel-O-Fun over the years, and led the shift in transportation methods in the city," said deputy-mayor Meital Lahavi.
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