Tartu plans to purchase 1,000 new rental bikes

The Estonian city of Tartu is preparing to launch a new tender to acquire up to 1,000 new electric bicycles compatible with its existing bike-share system. The city's bike-sharing network has been operating for more than seven years, and its current fleet now needs renewal to keep the service running long-term. An earlier procurement attempt this spring was unsuccessful, prompting the city to try a new approach.

A large order to secure a better price

According to Tartu Deputy Mayor Priit Humal, the tender could be announced as early as this month, covering the purchase of 1,000 bikes over four years under a framework agreement. A larger combined order is expected to give bidders clarity about the required volume and help the city secure a lower price, since past smaller purchases resulted in a higher per-bike cost. The city hopes to receive bids under €2,000 per bike, with the total estimated value of the procurement at around €1.6 million. The final price will depend on the bids received.

Compatibility with existing infrastructure

Roman Meeksa, head of Tartu's city transport company, said that if the procurement succeeds, a first batch of at least 250 new electric bikes could appear on the streets as early as next season. The key requirement is that new bikes work with the existing docking stations and software. Humal noted that the original docking system provider ceased operations years ago, leaving few companies on the market able to offer compatible bikes, meaning bidders must make extra efforts to ensure compatibility.

A market survey conducted ahead of the tender confirmed that, besides the current suppliers based in Tallinn and Portugal, other companies could also offer suitable bikes, potentially increasing competition. Last year, more than 13,000 people took at least one trip using the bike-share system, which currently has around 6,000 regular users.