Seoul City: 1 in 3 People Are 'Ddareungi' Members... Approaching 100 Million Cumulative Uses This Year

Last Year Usage Up 35% Year-on-Year, Membership Surpasses 3.3 Million... Establishment of Lifestyle-Oriented Transportation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul's public bicycle system 'Ddareungi' has become a daily transportation means used by one in three citizens as members, and the cumulative number of rides over seven years is about to surpass 100 million rides within this year.

According to Seoul City on the 19th, as of the end of last year, the cumulative number of rides reached 91.65 million, showing a significant increase in usage after COVID-19. The total number of rentals increased by 24% in 2020 compared to 2019 (27.86 million rides), and last year it rose by 35% to 32.05 million rides. The total number of members also increased by 510,000 last year, surpassing 3.3 million, and mobile app downloads increased by 1.4 million compared to the previous year, reaching a cumulative total of 5.92 million downloads.

Usage of Ddareungi was 12% higher on weekdays compared to weekends. On weekdays, 30.6% of rentals were concentrated during commuting hours (8?10 AM, 6?8 PM), effectively serving as the ‘first-last mile’ connecting gaps before and after public transportation use. In contrast, on weekends, 30.9% of usage was concentrated in the afternoon hours from 2 to 6 PM.

Monthly usage was highest in September (3.73 million rides) and June (3.46 million rides). Even in the winter months of December and February, usage increased by 52.7% and 62.0% respectively compared to the previous year. Despite high temperatures, over 3 million rides were recorded in July and August, confirming a significant increase in usage regardless of season.

While Ddareungi usage increased, safety accidents decreased. Last year, there were 630 accidents, a 25% decrease compared to the previous year. The number of accidents per 100,000 rentals decreased by 47%. This is attributed to Seoul City's multifaceted efforts such as establishing dedicated bicycle lanes, expanding safety facilities, and improving nighttime visibility.

In line with the increase in Ddareungi members and usage, Seoul City plans to add 3,000 new bicycles this year, expanding the fleet to 43,500. The number of rental stations increased by 372 from 2,228 in 2020 to 2,600 in 2021, and this year, 250 additional stations will be installed to enhance convenience for citizens.

Baek Ho, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, “Ddareungi has become a daily transportation means loved by many citizens, with cumulative rides approaching 100 million. We will continue to improve services so that citizens can use Ddareungi conveniently and safely, and do our best to create an advanced bicycle usage culture.”