The official launch took place on Thursday morning at Kommeno Bentenaki, where the Municipality of Heraklion and the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Cleanliness, Environment & Energy presented the project. Deputy Mayor Nikos Gialitakis led the demonstration on how to rent and use the bikes.
Mayor Alexis Kalokairinos, Deputy Mayor for Sports Giannis Tsapakakis, and other municipal officials attended the event. In their statements, city representatives emphasized their commitment to promoting cycling as a sustainable, economical, and environmentally friendly means of urban transport. To highlight its ease of use, the mayor and deputy mayors even took the bicycles for a test ride, as captured in the videos shared by Patris.gr.
How the Bike-Sharing Program Works
The system is available to all adults, both residents and visitors of Heraklion. To rent a bike, users must be at least 18 years old and register via the easybike Heraklion mobile app, available for iOS and Android.
The specially designed electric bicycles will be stationed at eight docking and charging points within the city, where registered users can rent and return them. The designated stations are located at:
- Agios Minas Square
- Pankritio Stadium
- Pateleion Indoor Gymnasium
- Chaniaporta
- Heraklion Municipal Police Headquarters
- Kommeno Bentenaki
- Old Town Hall of Nea Alikarnassos
- Seferis Park – Agios Dimitrios Square in Katsabas
The service will operate year-round, seven days a week, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, except during maintenance periods, force majeure events, or when municipal authorities impose temporary or indefinite restrictions on bike circulation.
Rental Rules and Project Funding
Each bicycle can be used for a maximum of three (3) consecutive hours. After this period, users must return the bike to one of the docking stations and secure it in an available slot, thereby ending the rental session.
This initiative is part of Subproject 10: “Enhancing Micromobility in the Municipality of Heraklion”, which falls under the broader program “Sustainable Micromobility through Public Bike-Sharing Systems in Non-Metropolitan Municipalities.” The project is funded by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy as part of the Operational Program for Transport Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainable Development 2014-2020.
With this new system, Heraklion takes a significant step towards more sustainable urban transport, offering residents and visitors a convenient and environmentally friendly way to explore the city.