Rent and Share Program in Vilnius

Vilnius has become the first city in Europe to introduce a public electric bike "Rent and Share" system. Electric bicycles are available for renting and sharing by residents or visitors to the capital of Lithuania. The bikes, one of a series of initiatives by Vilnius Mayor Artūras Zuokas, reinforces Vilnius'goal of becoming a world leader in making the latest environment friendly transportation technologies widely available.

The new "Rent and Share" pilot program has been launched as a joint effort between Vilnius and German and Lithuanian bicycle firms. Similar electric bike rental systems are under consideration in Spain, Italy and Great Britain.

It is good for citizens of Vilnius, it is good for our visitors and it is good for the city. I am pleased that Vilnius has taken the lead in providing a new mode of quality public transportation which addresses urban congestion issues that all cities face. I hope that other cities will follow our lead, stated Mayor Zuokas.

The bikes are called "e-orange"and are detailed with bright orange stripes. They are available for rental at four Tourism Information Centers located in the downtown and Old Town areas of Vilnius. They cost from 3 Euros for the first hour of rental with increasing hourly costs e.g. a four hour ride costs 26 Euros. A 145 Euro deposit is required by credit card at the time of rental and is refunded to the renter immediately upon return of the bike to the original rental point. A built in GPS system monitors the whereabouts of the bicycles at any given time.