OREANDA-NEWS. October 13, 2011. This summer, the bicycles of the self-service bike rental BalticBike have already been used by customers on more than 14 000 occasions in the six months from April to September. Thus BalticBike is already three times popular than it was last summer when it recorded 3842 rentals, when it was available for six months over the summer.

Janis Vanags, Vice President Corporate Communication of airBaltic: “BalticBike has become an integral part of Riga. The bicycles are increasingly popular with the local residents as an alternative means of transport. The overall rentals have more than tripled to over 14 000, while this September – they have quintupled compared to last September.”

Since April of this year, the proportion of local residents who rent BalticBikes has increased to 70%. Last year, BalticBike bicycles were equally popular among both residents and guests of Riga and Jurmala. Now people are increasingly using BalticBike bicycles for point-to-point trips. This indicates that due to the competitive price of EUR 1 (Ls 0.70) per hour, BalticBike bicycles are becoming a very popular form of transportation among residents of Riga and Jurmala.

Last year BalticBike bicycles were available at 11 stands – 8 in Riga, and 3 in Jurmala. Additional stands have been opened in Rīga this year, and now there are 19 BalticBike stands in total. The geography of rental stands in Riga has also been extended and now stretches from the Riga Botanical gardens to the Mezaparks area. A map of all BalticBike stands can be found at www.balticbike.lv along with convenient maps with route suggestions for those who want to explore the beauty and secrets of Riga and Jurmala.