Swiss Review 3/2018

13 Swiss Review / May 2018 / No.3 Society MARC LETTAU Two hundred years after the invention of the bicycle by the ingenious Karl Freiherr von Drais, this engineless mode of transport is causing a stir in the cosmopolitan city of Zu- rich. It is not that Switzerland’s largest city has just discov- ered the bicycle. But one particular trend has become a hot topic of conversation. Rental bikes are appearing all over the place. There are hundreds of them. They are also found in places where they seriously infringe upon the people of Zurich’s expectations of orderliness. The situation inZurich is indicative of what is currently going on in other Swiss cities, too. Resourceful companies are pursuing the business strategy of flooding urban cen- tres with their rental bikes without creating parking facil- ities for them. Instead they provide smartphone appswhich enable available bikes to be found and unlocked. Custom- ers who no longer need the bicycle after their journey can park it anywhere. At least six providers are vying for busi- ness from cyclists in Zurich: O-Bike, Limebike, Züri rollt, Züri-Velo, Smidewith electric bikes andCarvelo2go, which hires bikes to transport goods. The Danish company Don- key Republic is also considering entering the rental bike market in Zurich. In other cities, Nextbike, Velospot and PubliBike are shaking up the market. They are causing a stir and not just because of the revolution in transport. Great scepticism is Cyclists are moving into the fast lane Do bicycles have a place in the city of the future? Whatever the answer, many Swiss cities are focusing on more bikes and on doubling their share of overall traffic. Muscle-powered travel gives rise to new hopes but also trig- gers defensive responses. Photo: Rental bikes from providers such as O-Bike and Limebike are causing a stir on the streets of Zurich. Photo: Keystone