OREANDA-NEWS. A new service is available in Moscow since summer 2013 — bike sharing. Romir Research Holding has carried out a survey among Moscow city residents in order to evaluate the innovation upon the end of the season and 90% of Moscovites has spoken positively on the opportunity to share bikes for a city ride. At that the next year is supposed to see several times increase in quantity of bike sharers. Every eighth respondent would appreciate a bicycle docking station being situated close to his or her premises. The service is of especially high demand among residents of the Southern and South-Eastern administrative districts of Moscow. The city residents intend to use bicycle sharing system primarily in summer months, though September and May will also be suitable for those eager to ride bicycles provided bike paths appear in the city.

In September 2013 Romir Research Holding on request of the Bank of Moscow carried out a survey among Moscow residents regarding public bicycle sharing service — VeloBike project which was started this summer in the capital of Russia. The goal of the research was to monitor the city residents’ awareness of the bike sharing service and reveal corresponding perceptions as well as to learn about possible service demand trends for the next year.

Thus the research results showed that overwhelming majority of the city residents was aware or heard something" about the bike sharing system (38% are aware, 42% "heard something"). One tenth of the respondents (9%) were not aware though expressed related interest, while residents of Eastern and North-Eastern Moscow districts revealed intense interest in the project (18% and 15% correspondingly).

Overwhelming majority of Moscow city residents expressed very positive attitude towards bike sharing for 71% of respondents assigned the highest grade of a five-point grading scale to the project and other 19% — four-point grade. Only 2% of respondents gave the lowest grade motivating it with no place to ride factor or with service irrelevance.

According to the research results only a few — approximately 4% — were actually using the bike sharing system this summer. More than a half of them had a ride without any certain destination while 39% made their ways to city or suburban parks. At the same time 21% of respondents expressed their intentions to use the service next year while 17% were just toying with the idea. This summer bikes were rented mostly 1—2 times a month (39%), while those willing to use bike sharing system next year plan to do it each weekend (26%).