Glyfada ‘i-Bike’ Rental Scheme Takes Off

The coastal suburb of Glyfada, southern Athens, has launched its new rent-a-bike scheme titled “i-bike”.

With i-bike stations at two Glyfada locations — at the beach by Vergoti Square and at the old City Hall — 20 bicycles are available to cyclers for transportation purposes, strolling or just for fun.

Users — over 18 — can rent a bike for as long as they wish with the use of a credit card or via cell phone, returning it to any of the installed stations across town. Regular users — applicable only to Glyfada residents — can sign up to the system and receive a special e-card which provides 24-hour access. Cards are available from Glyfada City Hall.

Local authorities aim to make cycling a trend with plans to install more i-bike stations throughout the coastal suburb offering visitors and residents a friendlier environment.

Bike sharing, first implemented in European cities in 1965, gives people the chance to borrow a bike from one point and return it to another point in the city. An inexpensive means of transportation, public bike sharing systems operate in hundreds of cities worldwide.