Suwon Bike-Sharing Service Launches Under New Brand Name 'TAZO'

[Suwon Ilbo=Correspondent Seo Dong-young] Suwon's unmanned bike-sharing service is set to launch next month under a new brand name 'TAZO', ready to serve citizens once again.

The city plans to conduct a trial operation with 100 bikes starting from the 4th of this month to minimize inconvenience to residents.

Suwon will deploy 1,000 bicycles and launch the service normally starting October 1st, resuming the Suwon-style unmanned bike-sharing service. It marks exactly one year since Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike suspended its operations.

The brand name of the new 'Suwon-style unmanned bike-sharing service' is 'TAZO (Tazo)'. It is a playful linguistic name derived from the verb 'tad-a' (ride), chosen to be friendly and memorable.

TAZO requires no docking stations for rental service. Bike locations are identified through GPS positioning via wireless communication service. Thanks to IoT (Internet of Things) technology, users can easily rent and return bicycles through their smartphones.

The service is operated through a collaborative system involving Suwon City, KT, and OmniSystem. The city provides infrastructure and administrative support, while KT developed the bike operation platform, wireless communication, and locking mechanisms. Based on this, OmniSystem oversees the overall service including bike supply and user app operations.

Previously, Chinese company Mobike suspended its bike-sharing service in Suwon after withdrawing from its overseas operations 19 months after launching.

The city signed a business agreement with KT and OmniSystem in February and has been preparing to provide quality service to residents. The city has acknowledged that through collaboration with domestic companies, it has secured new momentum and business stability.

Ahead of TAZO's normal operation, the city will conduct a trial run with 100 bikes starting from the 4th of this month. The trial bicycles will be initially deployed near Mangpo Station and Youngdeungpo Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, and temporary usage vouchers will be issued through the app allowing unlimited free use of the basic rate (500 won per 20 minutes) until the 14th. To prevent monopolistic use, additional charges (200 won per 10 minutes) will be applied.

During the trial period, the city will conduct final checks on the unmanned bike-sharing app, operation platform, and overall management to minimize inconvenience to users during future normal operations.

To this end, ▲identifying and resolving issues during actual bicycle operation ▲stabilizing smartphone OS application of user app and operation platform ▲practical checks on overall operations, bike maintenance, redistribution work, and other realistic field tests will be conducted.

Starting in October, a total of 1,000 bicycles will be deployed. The city plans to expand the service by adding 2,000 more bikes in the first half of next year.

To prevent user confusion and inconvenience, the fare is set at a basic rate of 500 won per 20 minutes and 200 won per additional 10 minutes, following Mobike's previous system, with a monthly flat rate of 10,000 won.

Going forward, TAZO service will operate a dedicated call center and establish a dedicated website, while applying customer response methods utilizing SNS services such as Kakao Talk consultation to maximize user convenience.

A city official said, "We hope TAZO will establish itself as an eco-friendly transportation representing Suwon City and achieve effects of expanding diverse transportation infrastructure and reducing fine dust, while also revitalizing the city and its citizens."