Bikeep and Velopa bring smart bike parking to Geneva

In spring 2018 Bikeep announced a partnership with Velopa, the Swiss maker of bike parking systems. Together the two companies set out to bring Bikeep's smart bike parking stations to Switzerland, starting in Geneva.

Why Geneva

Cycling was growing fast in Geneva, and the city needed parking that kept up. Bike theft was the biggest obstacle. Swiss daily 20 Minutes reported that more than 35,000 bicycles were stolen in Switzerland every year, and that only 2.2% of reported thefts were solved by the police.

What the e-parkings offered

Bikeep's stations hold each bike with a locking bar, so riders don't have to rely on their own lock. A rider parks with the Bikeep app or a card, and the dock sounds an alarm if anyone tampers with a locked bike. For Velopa, the docks added a connected, secure option to its bike parking range.

In the Swiss press

The launch drew coverage in the French-speaking Swiss press.

• 20 Minutes wrote about e-parkings as a way to make life easier for cyclists and cut theft.
• Tribune de Genève covered the plans for Geneva.
• Le Matin reported on the partnership with Velopa.

Still in Geneva

A Bikeep station run by Velopa is still in use today at mobilidée on Rue de la Servette in Geneva.

More on how secure parking cuts theft is on the bike parking page, and on how cities use Bikeep.