There is some big news in the Prague public transport infrastructure. People can now have free access to short-term bike rides in the Czech city.

What began as a pilot project has now been made permanent, Prague Integrated Transport announced on Sunday.

How it works

If you have a Lítačka public transport pass in Prague, you now will as well have access to use the shared bicycles for up to 15 minutes, four times a day, and at zero cost.

The idea began as a way to use bicycles to help with the city’s transport system. Its aim was to alleviate congestion as well as offer people an alternative to the bus or streetcar stops, which are sometimes too far away to access.

Popular program

The pilot ran for three months and began in October. The project went well, with almost 8,000 people using the bikes, despite Prague’s cold winter.

Following the positive response, the city of Prague has decided to make the free bike shares a permanent part of their transport system.

The project also published some of the most popular times that the bike share program was used.

It was mostly used during rush hours before and after work, meaning before 7:00 a.m. and then between 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Most riders used the bikes for five minutes, so most likely a quick commute to work or groceries.