'Ddareungi' Usage Up 38% Year-on-Year... "Increased Public Awareness of Short-Distance Transportation"

Recognition Establishment → Usage Rate Increase Drives ‘Ddarungi’ Growth... Operation of 47 Concentrated Management Rental Stations
Dock Relocation and Installation of 1,631 Additional Units Completed by End of May Based on Commuting Preferences

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As citizens recognize bicycles, PMs, and electric kickboards as short-distance transportation means, the use of Seoul's public bicycle system 'Ddareungi' as a daily mobility option has sharply increased.

On the 21st, Seoul City announced that after analyzing recent Ddareungi usage data, the number of rentals from January to May this year reached 14.14 million, a 38.3% increase compared to 10.22 million during the same period last year. Weekday usage was recorded at 10,134,582, and weekend usage at 4,010,196.

Since March this year, Seoul City has selected and operated focused management rental stations, adjusting bike racks between preferred and less preferred stations to more efficiently redistribute Ddareungi bicycles. According to Seoul City's analysis, the number of bicycles available on-site significantly increased just two months after implementing focused management, leading to a rise in public bicycle usage.

To resolve bicycle imbalances between rental stations, Seoul City operates focused management rental stations, selecting a total of 47 stations based on complaint frequency, assigning 1-2 stations per delivery team, and has been pre-allocating bicycles to stations lacking bikes during commuting hours since March. Additionally, by May, 1,631 bike racks were newly installed at 391 preferred rental stations with high usage.

While Ddareungi usage increased as described, safety accidents have actually decreased. From January to May last year, there were 240 Ddareungi-related accidents, whereas in 2022, the number dropped by 61.2% to 93 cases. The accident rate per 100,000 rentals also sharply declined from 2.34 to 0.65.

The city plans to further enhance public bicycle infrastructure and services. Beyond the first phase of quantitative expansion, Seoul is simultaneously promoting the second phase infrastructure upgrade and qualitative improvement project known as 'Season 2.' This year, policies such as introducing new Ddareungi bicycles, installing dense rental stations, focused station management, and bicycle safety education will be implemented to enable citizens to use Ddareungi more safely and conveniently.

Another factor contributing to the increase is the lifting of social distancing and the return to daily life. From April 18 to June 12, immediately after social distancing was lifted, usage surged by 51.3% from 5.76 million to 8.71 million compared to the same period last year, reflecting a growing preference for bicycles.

By time of day, on weekdays, the highest usage was during commuting hours from 6 to 7 PM (11.4%) and 8 to 9 AM (8.53%). On weekends, peak usage occurred in the afternoon from 4 to 5 PM (8.65%) and 5 to 6 PM (8.37%). The largest increase compared to the previous year was between 6 and 7 PM, rising from 1.076 million to 1.445 million rentals (combined weekdays and weekends).

60% of users are in their 20s and 30s... Popular among youth, usage increasing across all ages

From January to May, users in their 20s and 30s accounted for 35.7% and 23.4% respectively, making up more than half of total Ddareungi usage. After the lifting of social distancing and the resumption of normal school attendance on May 1, usage among teenagers increased by 48.5% in May compared to April, with many using Ddareungi as a primary means of commuting to and from school. Usage trends showed increases across all age groups from teens to those over 60. Rental stations near the Han River bike paths and subway stations such as Yeouinaru Station, Ttukseom Resort Station, Bonglimgyo Traffic Island, and Magoknaru Station consistently ranked among the top Ddareungi rental locations.

Analyzing the eight weeks before and after April 18, the date social distancing was lifted, weekday usage sharply increased at rental stations under Guro Bridge (251%↑), in front of Peugeot Biz Tower (157%↑), and at Kolon One&Only Tower (137%↑), indicating more office workers commuting by bicycle. On weekends and holidays, usage rose at rental stations in front of Banpo Shopping Town Building 2 (283%↑), across from Wangsimni Station Exit 4 (174%↑), and in front of Magok Megabox (170%↑), reflecting increased outdoor activities by citizens after social distancing ended.

Foreign user numbers also increased. From January to May last year, foreign users accounted for only 3,925 rentals, but this year during the same period, the number rose 3.1 times to 12,178. Compared to pre-COVID 2019 figures of 7,585, this represents a 60.5% increase, showing that foreign tourists visiting Seoul have recovered to levels exceeding those before the pandemic.

Baek Ho, Director of Seoul City Urban Transportation Office, stated, “As personal mobility devices such as bicycles and PMs become established as short-distance transportation means, we will continue to do our best to create a safe and convenient environment so that citizens of all ages?from teenagers and youth to middle-aged and older adults?can use Ddareungi close to their daily lives.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.