The “Electric-Assisted Smart Bike-Sharing System” has launched in Izmir. Mayor Tunç Soyer stated, “With this system, which represents a revolution in daily urban transportation, we are leaving our mark on Izmir’s present and future.”
In line with İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer’s goal of increasing bicycle use in urban transportation, the “Electric-Assisted Smart Bike Sharing System”—designed for comfortable use on longer journeys—has been launched. İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer arrived at the ceremony venue on an electric-assisted smart bike. In addition to Mayor Soyer, the ceremony was attended by MIA Technology Board Chairman Özgür Çivi, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Barış Karcı, council members, representatives of civil society organizations and political parties, and citizens.
Soyer: “I made a promise five years ago”
Recalling the promise he made five years ago to increase bicycle use in Izmir and make the city more resilient, Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer said, “We now have a continuous bicycle path encircling the Gulf. Through the work we’ve done under our Bicycle Action Plan, we’ve expanded our existing bicycle path network to 111 kilometers. We have popularized bicycle culture in İzmir through our bicycle rental system, BİSİM. We have made significant investments in our city’s nature-friendly transportation network. Over the past five years, we have opened 26 new BİSİM stations, increasing the total number from 34 to 60. BİSİM serves our city with 60 stations and 990 bicycles. We have added 120 special bicycles to our fleet for visually impaired citizens and children. We have integrated bicycle transportation with public transit. Bicycle riders can use ferries within the bay for a symbolic fee of just 5 kuruş. Through this exemplary initiative, we achieved an 82% increase in the number of passengers using both bicycles and maritime transportation. We installed special fixtures on our ESHOT buses to ensure cyclists can travel comfortably. We have included Izmir in the EuroVelo European Cycling Network. We have continuously improved our EuroVelo cycling tourism routes. We opened the Dikili-Çandarlı, Menemen Rural Routes, and the Ephesus-Pamucak Routes. As a result of all these efforts, the share of bicycle travel among transportation modes, which was 0.5% in 2020, has nearly reached 1%,” he said.
“To combat the climate crisis and drought”
Highlighting the climate crisis and noting that all these efforts are aimed at a healthy future, Mayor Soyer said, “It is projected that by 2030, İzmir will have 2.2 times more cars, 1.7 times more urban trips, and 1.6 times more population than today. If we fail to develop a sustainable transportation policy in harmony with nature, the quality of life in our city will decline, urban accessibility will decrease, and the impacts of the climate crisis will be felt even more deeply due to increased carbon emissions. That is why we are designing our city not for motor vehicles, but for our people. To overcome the climate crisis and drought… To create a resilient city where Izmir residents can live safely… The Electric-Assisted Smart Bike Sharing System we are introducing is one of the key milestones on this path. With this system, which represents a revolution in daily urban transportation, we are leaving our mark on Izmir’s present and future. “May our Electric-Assisted Smart Bike Sharing System bring blessings to our citizens and our city,” he said.
Çivi: “Izmir is one of Turkey’s cycling capitals”
Özgür Çivi, Chairman of the Board of Directors at MIA Technology, who provided information about the Electric-Assisted Smart Bike Sharing System, stated that they have prevented the emission of 49.8 tons of carbon dioxide in the cities where they have operated this system over the past year. Çivi said, “Izmir is one of the cycling capitals of Turkey. In addition to being the city most suited for cycling, it is also one of Turkey’s most important cities dedicated to cycling, with the highest number of cycling-focused civil society organizations.”
Less effort, more distance
The “Electric-Assisted Smart Bike Sharing System,” which will make a significant contribution to the spread of sustainable and eco-friendly transportation in the city, will enable residents to meet their daily transportation needs over longer distances more comfortably by bike while expending less effort. Electric-assisted bicycles, which combine human power with electric power, will extend the range of trips—which are typically considered manageable by regular bicycles over 2–10 kilometers—to 20–25 kilometers. With this project, which will make electric bicycles available for the vast majority of trips within the city, the face of transportation in Izmir will change.
2,000 bicycles will provide 24/7 service
Electric bicycle stations to be located in various parts of Izmir will be integrated into the public transportation network. Initially, 1,000, and later 2,000 electric-assisted and smart bicycles will provide service 24/7. The system, designed to encourage bicycle use, is expected to be particularly popular during morning and evening commutes. This fully eco-friendly initiative will make a significant contribution to reducing Izmir’s carbon footprint and alleviating traffic congestion within the city.
