New MOL Bubi adds to Budapest‘s green dimension
Redesigned bike sharing network provides better user experience
MOL Bubi circa 2021, the long-awaited successor to Budapest’s popular bike sharing network, can finally be used by residents and guests of the Hungarian capital after a complete facelift. The revamped service was officially launched on May 20 by Mayor Gergely Karácsony, Katalin Walter, CEO of BKK, and Péter Pantl, communications director of the MOL Group, according to a press release from BKK.
In a final test phase, the new MOL Bubi has been tested with the help of hundreds of users, and any faults have been duly corrected. As a result, BKK’s community bicycles are now available at 158 collection stations across the city. The service can only be used with the MOL Bubi app.
What’s new on MOL Bubi 2021?
MOL Bubi has been fundamentally renewed in order to offer a significantly better user experience:
- The bikes are fitted with puncture-proof tires and are lighter than their predecessors, making them easier to ride. You can also find a new bell and a handy cell phone holder.
- In the new app, checking in, shopping and viewing past trips is a snap. The website has been redesigned.
- It just got easier to retrieve and lock bikes using a smart lock.
As part of the service, the pricing structure of MOL Bubi has also been changed:
- The monthly subscription costs 500 HUF and the annual subscription costs 5,000 HUF.
- With a valid MOL Bubi pass, short journeys (up to 30 minutes each) remain free. The previously required deposit has been completely eliminated.
- As an occasional user, you only have to pay the HUF 100 credit card registration fee once the first time you use the system, which counts towards the price of your first trip.
- Up to 4 bikes can be used at the same time with a single registration.
High-quality development doesn’t have to be expensive
During a press conference, Mayor Gergely Karácsony stressed that environmentally friendly transport is extremely important for Budapest. Besides the complex bicycle-friendly developments, the creation of new cycle paths and traffic calming projects, MOL Bubi also supports this goal. The now renewed public bicycle service is proof that development does not have to be expensive to be sustainable, modern and of high quality, added Karácsony.
Katalin Walter, CEO of BKK, said for her part that the main aim of the company is for more people in Budapest to choose the bicycle for their short trips in the city, mainly as a complement to traditional public transport modes. Therefore, MOL Bubi is not a bicycle rental, but much more than that: it is an integral part of the Budapest public transport system and the service offering of BKK.
“In our updated strategy, we have set serious sustainability goals, so we will be even more determined to support the spread of alternative public transport in the future. In this context, we will continue to be the naming rights sponsor behind Bubi, and we will continue to work on the extension of our electric charging infrastructure and the promotion of community driving ”, Péter Pantl, communications director of the MOL group, underlined during the press conference.
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