400 bikes still missing Criticism of Nextbike’s rental stations in Bonn
BONN · Rolf Beu, chairman of the Bonn Planning Committee, does not think Nextbike’s bike rental system in Bonn has had a convincing start. Among other things, he is critical of Nextbike not returning many unused bikes to the stations.
Not enough Nextbikes and inadequate signage at rental stations; the chairman of the Bonn Planning Committee, Rolf Beu, is dissatisfied with the rental bike system that started in October. “The public utilities company assured us several times that the system agreed to by the council would be completely finished by the end of 2018,” says Beu. 400 of the 900 bikes are currently still missing because of delivery problems. They will come in January along with information signs at the 100 stations in the city area.
The bikes can also be left outside the stations. Beu, who is also on the supervisory board of SWB Bus and Train, criticises the stations, however, because they do not meet the “required design standards to be recognised in the cityscape.” He says, “Instead of the ground area being one colour and having conspicuous information posts, there are only red and white adhesive strips and a few cardboard signs.”
While no rental bikes are available for days at several stations, in other places in the outer districts, bikes stand unused on the side of the street and are not returned to the stations by Nextbike. “That is unfortunately not a convincing start for SWBmobil as a mobility service provider in Bonn.”
(Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach. Translation: kc)
