Complete borrowing and returning in just 3 seconds！ Pingtung’s public bicycle system “Pbike” to launch in October

▲ Pingtung’s public bicycle rental system “Pbike” will use the same bike model as Kaohsiung’s “CityBike.” (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Pingtung’s long-held wish to establish a public bicycle system will finally come true this October. On the 11th, the Pingtung County Government announced that the future public bicycle system in the county will be managed by the experienced Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation and will be named “Pbike.”

According to the plans of the Pingtung County Government and Kaohsiung MRT, “Pbike” will initially set up 20 rental stations along areas such as Pingtung Railway Station, government offices, schools, and along the Wan-nien River, with a total of 450 bicycles. After the system is established, it will be expanded to 100 stations based on operational performance. The goal is for the public bicycle system to help reduce the high rate of motorcycle usage among Pingtung residents.

Kaohsiung MRT stated that the “Pbike” bicycles will retain the green design of Kaohsiung’s “City Bike,” and rental stations will be custom-designed specifically for Pingtung County. The system will also adopt a “3-second rental and return system,” allowing users to borrow and return bikes in just 3 seconds. To accommodate different station environments, multiple sets of 1-to-4 card readers will be installed to handle simultaneous borrowing and returning, reducing waiting times for users.

After “Pbike” launches, the public can rent bikes using an EasyCard or credit card. However, it has not yet been decided whether the first 30 minutes or the first hour will be free of charge. What is certain is that due to differences in backend systems, cross-county rental and return services will not be available.