Jump to content

Rekola

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rekola
Rekola in front of Czech National Library of Technology, Prague
Rekola in front of Czech National Library of Technology, Prague
Overview
Area served4 (2023)
LocalePrague, Czech Republic, Bratislava, Slovakia and other 6 cities
Transit typeBicycle-sharing system
Annual ridership
2,029,522 (2024)
Chief executive
Vít Ježek
Websiterekola.cz
Operation
Began operation
2013; 13 years ago (2013)
Number of vehicles
2,000+ (2019)

Rekola is a Czech bicycle-sharing system founded in Prague in 2013 by Vít Ježek. It began as a volunteer project in which donated and second-hand bicycles were refurbished, painted pink and made available for sharing, before developing into a professional bicycle-sharing operator.[1][2]

Rekola operates in cities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia and Poland, including Prague, Bratislava and Tallinn.[3][4] Its distinctive pink bicycles are located and unlocked using the Rekola mobile application and are returned to designated parking areas. The service includes conventional bicycles and e-bikes.[5] Rekola recorded more than two million rides in 2024, nearly 50 percent more than in the previous year.[6]

History

[edit]

Rekola was founded in Prague in 2013 by Vít Ježek as a volunteer bicycle-sharing project. Its first bicycles were donated or bought second-hand, repaired by volunteers and painted pink. In the same year the service expanded to Brno. Then in 2014, Rekola expanded to Olomouc, and in 2015 to České Budějovice.

In 2016, investment fund Spread Capital, founded by Czech entrepreneur Ondřej Fryc, acquired a minority stake in Rekola to support its further development and expansion.[7]

Rekola first expanded abroad in 2018, launching a bicycle-sharing service in Vaasa, Finland. The Finnish operation ended in 2020, while a new service launched in Bratislava in September of that year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic in March 2020, Rekola offered free 30-minute rides for two weeks across its Czech operations. Sponsored by Rohlik.cz and Prusa Research, the programme was intended to provide an alternative to crowded public transport.[8]

In October 2021, Prague began a pilot programme integrating Rekola and competitor Nextbike with the Lítačka public-transport system. Holders of prepaid Prague transport passes could use shared bicycles for short journeys without an additional fee. More than 72,000 rides were made during the first three months, and the scheme was later continued as part of Prague Integrated Transport.[9]

Rekola expanded to Tallinn, Estonia, in 2024, launching there with 200 bicycles.[10] In the same year, the company recorded more than two million rides, nearly 50 percent more than in 2023.

Locations

[edit]
Saddles of Rekola bikes, 2018

Rekola operates bicycle-sharing systems in several municipalities in the Czech Republic, as well as in Slovakia, Estonia and Poland.

Location Country Rekola since Reported fleet Notes
Prague Czech Republic 2013 1,500+ (2026)[11] Rekola also operates shared e-bikes in Prague.[12]
Brno Czech Republic 2014 – Rekola and Nextbike participate in the city's subsidized bikesharing programme.[13]
Prostějov Czech Republic 2023 180 (2025–2026) The fleet consists of 165 conventional bicycles and 15 e-bikes.[14]
Nový Jičín Czech Republic 2025 90 (2026) Operated jointly with the neighbouring system in Kopřivnice; Rekola replaced Nextbike in February 2025.[15]
Kopřivnice Czech Republic 2025 about 90 (2026) The system is integrated with that of Nový Jičín, with longer free rides available between the two cities.[16]
Havířov Czech Republic 2025 200 (2025–2026) Rekola replaced Nextbike from 1 March 2025 under a contract covering 2025 and 2026.[17]
Jihlava Czech Republic 2025 140 (2026) Rekola replaced Nextbike on 1 May 2025.[18]
Veverská Bítýška and Chudčice Czech Republic 2026 21 (2026) A joint pilot system launched on 16 February 2026.[19]
Děčín Czech Republic 2026 130 (2026) The system launched on 1 May with 110 conventional bicycles and 20 e-bikes.[20]
Rudná Czech Republic 2026 – The city signed a bikesharing agreement with Rekola in July 2026.[21]
Bratislava Slovakia 2020 – Rekola operates in several districts of the Slovak capital.[22]
Tallinn Estonia 2024 200 (2024) Rekola entered Tallinn with 200 conventional bicycles.[23]
Polkowice Poland 2026 50 (2026) Rekola operates the Polkowice municipal bikesharing system, which launched in July 2026 with 23 stations.[24]

Former operations

[edit]
Location Country Rekola operation Notes
Olomouc Czech Republic 2014–2022 Rekola withdrew before the 2023 season.[25]
Pardubice Czech Republic 2014–2016 The service ended because of low usage.[26]
České Budějovice Czech Republic 2015–2026 Rekola was replaced on 1 July 2026 by the municipal bicycle-sharing system CBkolo.[27]
Hradec Králové Czech Republic 2015–2016 The service ended because of low usage.[28]
Teplice Czech Republic 2017–2019 The city declined to continue funding the system.[29]
Kladno Czech Republic 2017; 2019 Rekola first operated a three-month pilot in 2017 and operated again in 2019; Nextbike subsequently won the city's bikesharing tender.[30][31]
Liberec Czech Republic 2018–2019
Ostrava Czech Republic 2018–2019 The city-supported bikesharing contract was awarded to Nextbike from 2019; Rekola continued independently in the wider city centre during that year.[32]
Frýdek-Místek Czech Republic 2018–2020 Nextbike replaced Rekola from the 2021 season.[33]
Mladá Boleslav Czech Republic 2019–2020
Písek Czech Republic 2019 Trial operation from June to November 2019.
Krnov Czech Republic 2024–2025 Rekola replaced Nextbike for two years before Nextbike returned in 2026.[34]
Žďár nad Sázavou Czech Republic 2024–2025 Nextbike replaced Rekola for the 2026 season.[35]
Most Czech Republic April–June 2026 The city terminated its contract with Rekola after about three months and Nextbike returned on 1 July 2026.[36]
Vaasa Finland 2018–2020 Rekola's first operation outside the Czech Republic.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Barcíková, Michaela (26 October 2020). "Ľudia si na bicykle zvykli a neničia ich, s mestom sa spolupracuje dobre, hovoria autori služby Rekola". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Čabanová, Adéla (29 November 2016). "Zakladatel Mall.cz Fryc vložil své miliony do půjčovny růžových kol". E15 (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Rekola Bikesharing will start offering bicycle sharing service in Tallinn". City of Tallinn. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Chmielewski, Piotr (6 August 2026). "Polkowice testują nowe rowery miejskie. Burmistrz i prezes Sanden na wspólnej trasie". 24 Polkowice (in Polish). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "How it works?". Rekola. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Horáková, Jana (21 January 2025). "Rekordní rok pro Rekola. Jízda na růžových bicyklech je stále populárnější, firma přidá elektrokola i další města v Česku i v zahraničí". Euro.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Krupka, Jaroslav (30 November 2016). "Službu sdílení kol Rekola podpoří investice od Fryce". Médiář (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Recap of our measures during the COVID-19 pandemic". Prusa Research. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Čtvrt roku sdílených kol s Lítačkou zdarma: 72 000 výpůjček a noví uživatelé i v zimě" (in Czech). Prague Integrated Transport. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "New bikesharing service launches in Tallinn". ERR News. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Rekola pro firmy". Rekola (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Šnobr, Martin (11 May 2026). "Sdílená elektro–Rekola se po zimě vrací ve větším počtu". Městem na kole (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Podpora bikesharingu 2026: nový ročník startuje v březnu" (in Czech). City of Brno. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Provoz sdílených kol v letech 2025–2026". Prostějovské radniční listy (in Czech). 30 October 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Sdílená kola v Novém Jičíně využívají dvě tisícovky občanů" (in Czech). City of Nový Jičín. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Kopřivnice, Nový Jičín: Sdílení sdílených kol mezi městy". Databáze Dobrá praxe (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Sdílená kola jsou v Havířově stále oblíbenější! Do ulic vyrazí již 1. března" (in Czech). City of Havířov. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Dvořáková, Lenka (13 September 2025). "Sdílená kola i v Hruškových Dvorech, lidé to vítají. Jak to bude s koloběžkami?". Jihlavská Drbna (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Sdílená kola ve Veverské Bítýšce a Chudčicích" (in Czech). City of Veverská Bítýška. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Do ulic Děčína vyjedou od května sdílená kola" (in Czech). City of Děčín. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Město Rudná – Smlouva o realizaci služby sdílených jízdních kol". Registr smluv (in Czech). 3 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Zdieľaná mobilita" (in Slovak). City of Bratislava. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Rekola Bikesharing will start offering bicycle sharing service in Tallinn". City of Tallinn. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Wznowienie Polkowickiego Roweru Miejskiego z Nowymi Partnerami". PolkowiceCity (in Polish). 6 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Vránová, Magda (25 May 2023). "Sdílená Olomouc: bez růžových kol, bílé zóny na parkování a ohlašovna problémů". Olomoucký deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Součková, Lada (5 August 2019). "V pardubických ulicích by se opět mohla prohánět sdílená kola". Pardubický deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Šnobr, Martin (4 June 2026). "České Budějovice spustí vlastní bikesharing pod hlavičkou MHD, Rekola končí". Městem na kole (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Záleský, Petr (11 April 2017). "Projekt sdílených kol v Hradci vyhořel, teď zkouší štěstí BajkAzyl". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  29. ↑ Málek, Petr (17 April 2019). "Za růžová kola 1,5 milionu? Vedení Teplic to odmítlo". Teplický deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Brabec, Jan (17 August 2017). "Kladeňáci už projedou ulicemi na růžových kolech". Kladenský deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Zach Husárová, Kateřina (8 December 2019). "Kladeňáci se projedou na nových kolech, jedná se už o třetího provozovatele". Kladenský deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "Bikesharing – podpora konceptu sdílených kol" (in Czech). City of Ostrava. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "Rekola nahradí Nextbike" (in Czech). City of Frýdek-Místek. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Se sdílenými koly se vrátí nextbike". Krnovské listy (in Czech). December 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  35. ↑ Nedělková, Jana (20 April 2026). "Na sdíleném kole do práce i za zábavou. Ve Žďáře se ale mění provozovatel". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  36. ↑ Novotná, Marcela (5 June 2026). "Růžová éra trvala tři měsíce. Most mění provozovatele sdílených kol". Mostecký deník (in Czech). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rekola&oldid=1371811657"