July 4, 2020 - The first ten child seats in Croatia were set up on public bicycles in Split, where records Nextbike records have been broken for months. These are the first child seats installed on public bikes in Croatia, intending to enable parents to enjoy a safe ride with their little ones. The use of the seats is free of charge.

The news was reported by Goran Grgurinovic from the Public Relations Department of Split Parking, the city company responsible for the public bicycle system. The child seats have all the approvals and are designed to transport children from 9 to 72 months, and weigh from 9 to a maximum of 22 kilograms, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. 

A quick start guide will be posted on each child seat, and instructions will also be available on the Split Parking website. The system is very simple and intuitive, and within the application when renting a bike, it is possible to choose one with a child seat.

"The most important thing is to fasten the seat belts in the child seat carefully and not to leave the child unattended at any time, and to provide the children with helmets when riding in the seats. Safety is our number one priority," said Ante Gustin, CEO of Nexbike.

Split Parking said that they are extremely satisfied because they started this project with Nextbike and, in a short time, provided the initial number of child seats and satisfied inquiries from users. If the need arises, with the new bikes planned, an additional number of seats will be procured.

"Such child seats are already used in many European cities and I am glad that in Split, parents have the opportunity to be the first in Croatia to enjoy a safe ride with their children and on public bicycles. The safety of our youngest needs to come first for all of us, so I urge all adults and parents to behave responsibly and follow the instructions for use so that they can enjoy the ride carefreely," said Marko Bartulic, director of Split Parking.

The use of bicycles equipped with child seats is the same as for ordinary bicycles. When planning a ride without a child, users are asked to choose a regular bicycle so that bicycles with child seats are available for parents with children.

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The Nextbike public bicycle system in Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina today counts more than 50,000 registered users who recognize it as the most convenient, fastest, healthiest and fun form of transportation around, reports HRTurizam on May 14, 2019. 

Two friends, Krešimir Dvorski and Ante Gustin, started bravely and proactively with the story of promoting public bicycles as integral public transport six years ago. While the road to the top wasn’t easy, and the team dealt with a slow reaction and little market interest, they persevered, and today, Nextbike continues to expand. 

On Nextbike’s sixth birthday, which was May 14, 2019, the public bicycle system is present in more than 30 cities in Croatia and the region - and what follows is integration with other stakeholders in public transport and the expansion of the electric bicycle network.

"Over the past year, we have grown from 20 to more than 30 cities. More cities and companies invest in sustainable mobility, so we can say that this is not a trend but a long-term strategy. Users of new forms of transportation have become a critical mass in creating public opinion. The need for faster and more favorable movement from point A to point B with the use of state-of-the-art technology is fulfilled. With the advancement of user experience and the introduction of the latest generation of bikes with a built-in electric motor (pedelec), it is time to realize our vision of integrating public transport through mobile applications,” said the founders of the project, Krešimir Dvorski and Ante Gustin.

This summer, after many years of anticipation, Nextbikes will be used by the citizens and tourists in Split and Dugopolje, as the two cities have been announced as the new Nextbike locations.

Integrated public transport is imperative in tourism, as it allows visitors and tourists can choose to use the bus, train, car or public bicycle system as the magic of combined transport.

The public bicycle system is undoubtedly a great addition to tourist products for tourist destinations, and it is well on its ways to becoming a standard tourist offer.

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