Full pricing plans for Mobi bike share finally released
You'll need to spend at least $7.50 if want you to try Vancouver's bike share program
Pricing plans for Vancouver's bike share program, Mobi, were officially released by the city Thursday morning.
To try it out, prospective riders will have to shell out a minimum of $7.50 for a daily pass. That includes unlimited rides as long as it's within 30 minutes.
Single 30-minute trips cost only $2 each, but require a $10 monthly fee. A one-month pass for unlimited 30-minute rides costs $15. The price rises to $20 for unlimited hour-long rides.
Mia Kohout, general manager of the Vancouver bike share program, says the city studied the prices of other bike share programs to come up with Mobi's costs. She says the program is aimed at commuters, rather than recreational users.
"The pricing you see today is based on best practices around other cities in North America, particularly other cycle hop cities," she said.
For frequent users, she says monthly rentals are the most economical options.
All the passes require a three-month minimum commitment. Those who go over their time limits will be charged overage fees.
Bike store rentals
Some bike rental store owners expressed fears the city's bike share program would eat away significant parts of their business, particularly with tourists.
Kohout responded by emphasizing the city is targeting local commuters, and it's reflected in their prices.
She says it was told, on average, rental users tend to keep bikes for two-hour spans.
"If you rent a Mobi and you keep it out for two hours, it will cost you $22.50 which is well higher than bike rental operators charge," she said.
Prior to the daily and monthly pricing plans, only a $99, year-long plan was available.
The city said in a release 3,739 of those have been purchased since the program's launch on July 20.
After its full deployment, a total of 1,500 bikes and 150 stations are expected to be scattered throughout the city.