Seoul to roll out 300 seven-speed Ttareungi bikes by year-end in push on Oh's pledge

Seoul will introduce seven-speed Ttareungi public bicycles by December at the latest.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pursuing a purchase contract for 300 seven-speed Ttareungi bikes — a campaign pledge by Mayor Oh Se-hoon — with a target of launching a pilot program in December. During the election, Oh pledged a "great transformation of Seoul transportation to break free from the frustration of getting around," promising to replace the current fleet with seven- to eight-speed models. The existing Ttareungi bikes use a three-speed gear system, which riders have long criticized as inadequate for climbing hills. Oh pledged to replace all 45,000 Ttareungi bikes with eight-speed models at a rate of 4,000 units per year as each reaches the end of its service life. The city has been sorting through Oh's campaign pledges to identify those that are urgent or can be acted on immediately, and the introduction of seven-speed bikes was classified as one that can be carried out this year. "We have available budget, so we plan to first introduce 300 seven-speed Ttareungi bikes and run a pilot program in hilly areas," a city official said.

Ttareungi launched its official service in October 2015 with 2,000 bikes. The fleet has grown every year and has been maintained at around 45,000 units since late 2023. Rather than retiring aging bikes outright, the city purchases 2,000 new units annually to replace those that have reached the end of their service life.

Each Ttareungi bike costs 550,000 won ($356) for the frame and 200,000 won for the terminal unit, for a total of around 750,000 won per bike. The city allocates 1.6 billion won in its annual budget for Ttareungi procurement.

The city already spent its budget for 2,000 three-speed Ttareungi bikes in the first half of this year, but about 250 million won remained as a contract savings balance. The city plans to use those funds to purchase 300 seven-speed bikes. A contract savings balance is the surplus that results when the final awarded contract price comes in below the originally budgeted estimate set by the government, public institution or local authority that issued the tender.

Ttareungi has evolved gradually since it began operating in 2015. The biggest change came in 2020, when the LCD terminal was replaced with a smart-lock system. The old LCD-based rental process required three separate steps and was cumbersome to use. The new smart-lock terminal unlocks automatically when a user scans a QR code, making the rental process simpler and location tracking easier. Other upgrades have included an adjustable seat post, anti-slip handlebar grips, reinforced tires and reflective tape on the front basket for better nighttime visibility. "With the arrival of the seven-speed gear, Ttareungi is set to reach another turning point," a city official said.