Helbiz to establish public e-bike system in Belgrade

New York-based micro-mobility company Helbiz will install and operate a public e-bike system in Serbia’s capital Belgrade. The contract will be signed with the city authorities.

Helbiz has been selected as the exclusive micro-mobility public e-bike vendor for Belgrade, Serbia, the company said, Businesswire reported.

The agreement is the first of its kind for Belgrade and designates Helbiz as the exclusive vendor for 15 years.

Helbiz considers Belgrade one of its home

Helbiz considers Belgrade one of its homes, establishing an office there in 2018 as a result of Nemanja Stančić joining the company in the role of chief technology officer.

The awarding of the contract follows an open call from the city for proposals that was completed this month, according to the Businesswire. Following an official contract signing in the coming weeks, Helbiz will deploy at least 1,000 e-bikes and 150 parking terminals throughout the city.

The e-bike fleet will have a built-in IOT device, GPS

Helbiz will set up the parking stations with accompanying e-bikes throughout the city in phases over the next year and a half with the first bikes being available to rent in the coming months.

The e-bike fleet will have a built-in IOT (Internet of Things) device, GPS and will set the newest security standards such as photo verification of helmet use with AI which was developed by the internal tech team, the company said.

The bike ride can be started and paid for through the Helbiz app.

According to Helbiz’s website, the company, established in 2015, offers a diverse fleet of vehicles including e-scooters, e-bicycles and e-mopeds all on one convenient, user-friendly platform with over 40 licenses in cities around the world.

Paella: the agreement will be the longest in the company’s history

According to Salvatore Paella, Helbiz CEO, the agreement will be the longest in the company’s history and its length is unique for the industry.

“We expect it to drive revenue growth for the company and expand our presence in Europe. The 15-year agreement with Belgrade will allow Helbiz to prove our ability to be true partners to local government, ingrain ourselves into the daily lives of citizens and provide value over long periods of time. We are honored to be in the position to change the way Belgrade moves in a greener and sustainable way,” he said.