From Tuesday, November 30, 2021 the La BiGi-Bicincittà bike stations will be gradually dismantled to allow the installation of the new La BiGi-nextbike system.
The new bike sharing service La BiGi powered by Nextbike has been active from next January 14. In these days in the city has begun the gradual replacement of the bike stations that will be activated with the new service managed in collaboration with nextbike GmbH, European leader of bike sharing service, which has many news for citizens.
The bike stations
The new system will allow the use of bicycles both in "station-based" mode, which provides for the return of the vehicle to the bike station, and in "free-floating" mode, and will have 30 "physical" stations (equipped with racks) and 30 "virtual" stations identified by specific areas delimited on the asphalt. The map of the new bike stations shows an extension of the service from the city center to the more peripheral areas, the stations available for the pick-up and drop-off of vehicles will increase from the current 23 to 60.
The new BiGi
Yellow is the distinctive color of the new service, present on the bicycles and at the bike stations with the new logo, readable and easily recognizable. The bicycles are equipped with gears, GPS technology and locking systems that will allow users to pick them up and drop them off both at the "physical" and "virtual" stations. In addition to its form, the BiGi-nextbike is also enhanced in numbers. There will be 350 smart bicycles arriving from Germany, a number more than tripled compared to the existing service, to which will be added another 20 pedal-assisted bicycles to be used mainly on the route from the center to Bergamo Alta.
App and mode of use
The BiGi-NEXTBIKE will be active all year round, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. All 370 "smart" bicycles will be connected to a central control system on a web platform that will allow constant monitoring of their position; the management and daily maintenance of the bicycles will be supervised by the nextbike team. The bicycles will be equipped with an automated locking system managed through the app, which will allow users to deposit or withdraw them.
To use the service, users will need to register at www.nextbike.it/bergamo and download the nextbike app. The website will be online from today but, until the service is launched, it will only allow registration without purchase. In order to pick up the bicycles it will be necessary to download the nextbike app and scan the QR Code or enter the bicycle number. At that point the wheel will be unlocked and the bike can be used.
With a single account it will be possible to rent up to four bicycles at the same time and reserve your bike, at no additional cost, for a maximum of 15 minutes before rental. Through the app it will also be possible to temporarily park the bike and pick it up later, ending the rental only at the end of the actual use.
Nextbike will guarantee 24-hour telephone assistance by answering the Italian number 350 365451 at the cost of a normal call.
Rates and subscriptions
The rates applied to the service will reward drop-off at bike stations or in the "flex zone" consisting of specific streets marked on the service map and indicated by the app.
Free" delivery outside the bike stations and the "flex zone" will still be allowed, but at higher rates. Pedal-assisted bicycles must be returned to the columns equipped for recharging.
The basic rate, recommended for occasional users and tourists, provides for a cost of 1 euro for the first 30 minutes of use, 1 euro for the next 30 minutes and 4 euro for the time after this first hour. For bicycles with pedal assistance, the cost is 2 euros for the first 30 minutes, 3 euros for the next 30 minutes and 9 euros for the remaining time.
The subscriptions allow the use of both traditional bicycles and those with pedal assistance with an unchanged cost of 10 euros for the monthly and 40 euros for the annual.
ATB subscribers to the LPT service will be able to benefit from a 50% discount on the purchase of La BiGi subscriptions, thanks to a voucher delivered directly to the ATB Point at the time of renewal of the subscription to transport services, commensurate with the duration of their ATB subscription.
All La BiGi subscriptions offer 30 minutes free with every standard or e-bike rental, then rentals up to 1h for standard bikes cost 0.50 euro and after every hour 4 euro, while for e-bikes rentals up to 1h cost 1 euro and after every hour 9 euro.
Purchases and renewals of La BiGi subscriptions are made on the NEXTBIKE website and app by credit card, Applepay and Googlepay.
Any deposit outside the bike stations but within the "flex zone" will incur a surcharge of 0.50 euros.
La BiGi season ticket holders will be able to migrate to the new service by registering with the LaBiGi-nextbike system by February 2022. All active subscribers will be entitled to a voucher redeemable for the new service that will include both the months of subscription not used at the date of temporary suspension of the service (November 30, 2021) and an additional month free.
The voucher can be activated simply by entering the unique code sent by e-mail on the app at the label "add promo code". For those who did not provide an email address when subscribing to "La BiGi-Bicincittà", it will be possible to collect the voucher at ATB Point by presenting an identity document.
The entrusting of the service to nextbike is for 4 years, renewable for another 2 years. The total investment borne by ATB is 1.6 million euros of which 300 thousand for the infrastructure (smart bikes, physical and virtual cyclostations) and about 1.3 million, just over 200 thousand euros per year, for management (fees, IT platform, customer care, logistics and maintenance).
Download the service flyer.
Discounts for ATB subscribers
Starting with the January 2022 season ticket campaign, all ATB subscribers will receive at the cash desk, following the purchase of a public transport season ticket, a coupon with a promo code that allows the purchase of a subscription to the new La BiGi - nextbike service with a 50% discount.