The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s (SMG) public bike share service Ttareungi has become a popular mode of transportation with one third of the city’s population registered as users. Since its introduction in 2015, the accumulated use of the service reached 91.65 million as of December 31, 2021, which is about to hit a record number of 100 million users by 2022.
The number of Ttareungi users soared amid the pandemic wherein service use increased by 24% YoY (27.86 million rentals) in 2020 and by 35% YoY (32.05 million rentals) in 2021. Last year, the service saw nearly 510 thousand newly registered users, bringing the total to 3.30 million users. This is equivalent to one-third of Seoul’s population. The app was downloaded 1.4 million times more than the previous year, reaching to an accumulated 5.92 million downloads.
The SMG attributes the surge in the Ttareungi service use to improved user convenience. In March 2021, the SMG diversified the login method using fingerprints and pattern, and added a new in-app payment feature of registering credit cards. The app was also updated to provide optimal map data on smartphones. Since October 2020, the old LCD terminals have been replaced with new QR-type terminals, which allows users to rent and return bikes easily by simply scanning a QR code using their smartphone.
Even though the Ttareungi service use increased, Ttareungi user accidents decreased, thereby showing the increased safety awareness of citizens. In 2021, the number of accidents decreased by 25% YoY (630 accidents). Accidents per 100,000 bikes also decreased by 47%. It is analyzed that the newly established bike paths and safety facilities as well as infrastructure to increase nighttime visibility by the SMG has paid off.
The SMG is planning to introduce additional 3,000 bikes this year in line with the increase in its users and service use, bringing the total to 43,500 bikes. The SMG also installed 372 new rental stations, bringing the total from 2,228 stations in 2020 to 2,600 in 2021. This year, 250 more stations are planned to be newly added to further increase citizens’ convenience.