Getting about Kyiv with electric scooters, bikes

When the spring lockdown in Kyiv restricted public transport to a small fraction of people, demand for bike and electric scooter rentals has gone through the roof.

Unlike taxis, bikes and scooters are environmentally friendly, relatively cheap and aren’t hindered by heavy traffic, which only intensified from the recent restrictions.

With increased demand, the number of transport sharing services has grown as well. Hundreds of bikes and scooters are now scattered across Kyiv downtown, available to grab.

The Kyiv Post put together the services providing alternative vehicles in the Ukrainian capital.

Scooters

Estonian taxi and food delivery service Bolt was the first company to launch scooter sharing in Kyiv, and it still remains among the leaders. With some of the lowest rates, Bolt’s green-hued scooters are light, fast and easy to drive. The service also covers the biggest area, in which vehicles can be used, including central Kyiv and parts of districts as remote as Holosiivskyi, Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and even Darnytskyi on the left bank of the Dnipro River.

To rent the company’s scooter, a user needs to update the Bolt app to the latest version, switch to the scooter mode, find an available vehicle on the map, scan a QR code on a scooter and pay with a card through the app. The cost of unlocking a scooter is Hr 9 ($0.32), and the rate is Hr 1.9 ($0.07) per minute. Renting a vehicle for a whole day costs Hr 490 ($15).

No less light and convenient are electric scooters from Scroll, a rental service from Georgia that says it cooperates with the international scooter rental company Bird headquartered in California. The service covers the central Kyiv area including Shevchenkivskyi, Pecherskyi and Podilskyi districts. To find available Scroll vehicles, a user needs to install the Bird app and check the map. From there, the procedure is the same, involving QR codes and card payment.

Scroll charges Hr 10 ($0.36) to unlock a vehicle and Hr 4 ($0.14) per minute after that. The required minimum tariff, however, is Hr 50 ($2), meaning that the users will be charged Hr 50 even if they accrue less.

Another popular sharing service is Kiwi. Though heavier and a bit harder to navigate, Kiwi scooters have the cheapest rates in the city. The company charges Hr 8 ($0.29) to unlock a vehicle and Hr 1.9 ($0.07) per minute. However, Kiwi requires topping up the app wallet with at least Hr 200 ($7) to start. The service covers downtown Kyiv and requires a Kiwi app to use.

Bikes

Bikenow put 2,000 new bicycles all around the capital this spring. The service works through the Bikenow mobile app with parking vehicles available in all the districts across the city. After registration, a user finds a nearby bike using the map and starts the trip by scanning a QR code on the bike. The vehicles have to be returned to one of the required locations on the map. A 30-minute trip costs Hr 20 ($0.7). There are also attractive subscription offers: The monthly one costs Hr 399 ($14) and the seasonal, three-month one is Hr 1,499 ($54). Both subscriptions make the first 30 minutes of each trip free and charge Hr 20 for every next 30 minutes.

Ukrainian service Veliki.ua offers both bicycles and electric scooters. Its range includes bikes suitable for children or teenagers, mountain bikes and city bikes in different sizes. Veliki has seven bicycle stations in Kyiv at the VDNH exhibition center, Pyrohiv outdoor museum, Pozniaky and Beresteiska metro stations and elsewhere. The company also offers vehicles at the Mezhyhirya national park outside of Kyiv. The price depends on the type of bike and starts at Hr 100 ($4) per hour. A customer also has to leave a deposit of at least Hr 6,000 ($214) or Hr 250–500 and an ID. Veliki’s price for electric scooter rental starts at Hr 100 ($4) for 15 minutes. Check details at Veliki’s website.

Another bike rental, Velokratia, aside from regular bicycles, offers bikes built for two and four people. Their price starts at Hr 100 ($4) per hour and Hr 400 ($14) per day. Mountain and city bikes are available for rent for five days for Hr 550 ($20). Velokratia has six rental locations in Kyiv, all near the popular spots for outdoor recreation. They are VDNH, Livoberezhna and Druzhby Narodiv metro stations, Mezhyhirya, Feofaniya Park and Pyrohiv museum. Renting vehicles requires customers to leave a deposit of at least Hr 500 ($18), as well as an identity document. Electric scooters are also available and cost Hr 250 ($9) per hour. Check details at Velokratia’s website.

Those who want to cycle across the picturesque 120-hectare Holosiivskyi Park should check Bikemotive. The company offers various bikes, charging Hr 100 ($4) for the first hour of rental. Every next hour is Hr 50 ($2), while a whole day is Hr 350 ($13). Customers will have to leave a deposit of at least Hr 5,000 ($179) or Hr 1,000–2,000 ($36–71) and an ID. Check details at Bikemotive’s website.

The Katay service rents bikes right in the center of Kyiv, at 12 Pushkinska St., for those who want to cycle across the city’s historic area. The price for a bicycle rental is Hr 70–90 ($3) per hour, Hr 200–350 ($7–12) per day and Hr 1,000–1,300 ($36–46) per week. Call to arrange a rental by +38067 781 6137, +38063 639 9377. Check details at Katay’s website.