Pyeongtaek Opens Second Free Public Bicycle Rental Station

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City held an opening ceremony on the 26th for the second location of the "Happiness on Two Wheels" free public bicycle rental station in a parking lot at Danggeo Rest Area (501-96 Danggeo-ri, Oseong-myeon, Pyeongtaek City).

Around 60 people attended the opening ceremony, including Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-seon, Kang Jeong-gu, Vice Chairman of Pyeongtaek City Council, Kim Young-hae, a Gyeonggi Province Councilor, and officials from social economy enterprises in Pyeongtaek City.

Last October, the city and Pyeongtaek Local Self-Reliance Support Center, a social cooperative, established the first free public bicycle rental station at Tongbok Stream (174 Dongsak-ro) with support from Kyungdong Navi Co., Ltd., AlBak Co., Ltd., and the Korea Electric Safety Corporation Pyeongtaek Branch to create jobs for the low-income vulnerable population and promote leisure activities for Pyeongtaek citizens.

An average of 700 citizens per month use the public bicycles, and with increasing usage, the second location was opened. Since its soft opening on the 9th, an average of 50 people on weekdays and around 250 people on weekends have been using the public bicycles at the second location.

The rental station is equipped with approximately 60 bicycles in total, including adult, children's, and two-seater models, as well as safety helmets. It operates year-round from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed only on Mondays.

Any citizen can use the bicycles free of charge by presenting an identification card and completing a simple consent form.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, safety measures are in place, including disinfection of bicycles, provision of disinfectants, and temperature checks for users.

After the opening ceremony, attendees toured the approximately 3-kilometer bicycle path to Yellow Lighthouse and enjoyed the autumn atmosphere along the Oseong River.

Kim Yang-soo, Director of Pyeongtaek Local Self-Reliance Support Center, stated, "I hope this second location becomes a healing place for Pyeongtaek citizens," and added, "We will do our best to ensure it becomes a safe and enjoyable public bicycle rental station."

Mayor Jung Jang-seon said, "I hope that amid COVID-19, many citizens can escape the stress of daily life and enjoy scenic views and quality leisure time with loved ones through public bicycle use," and continued, "We will make our best efforts to expand public bicycle policies so that all citizens can lead healthy and happy lives in Pyeongtaek."