Social Aspects of City Traffic Planning: Public Bicycles as a Part of Zagreb’s Traffic Identity

Koncept javnih bicikala poznat je već gotovo pola stoljeća, no tek su se u posljednjih nekoliko godina, uvođenjem napredne tehnologije, javni bicikli uspjeli nametnuti kao nezanemariv element prometne i kulturne slike sve većeg broja gradova, prvenstveno europskih. U ovom će se radu prikazati karakteristike sustava javnih bicikala kao nadopune uobičajenim oblicima javnog prijevoza. Budući da je iz dostupne literature vidljivo kako su javni bicikli rastući trend diljem svijeta, pokušat ću raščlaniti tu pojavu te analizirati mogućnost njihovoguvođenja u Zagreb. Već površna analiza prometne infrastrukture u Zagrebu pokazat će da je ona, prije svega, podređena automobilu, no perspektiva rasta svih troškova života, pogotovo prijevoza, daje naslutiti da će sve veći broj građana biti prisiljen zamijeniti dnevna putovanja privatnim automobilima nekim oblicima javnog prijevoza. U tom je kontekstu jasna nužnost upoznavanja zagrebačke javnosti, gradske vlasti i ostalih zainteresiranih partnera s prednostima i nedostacima javnih bicikala kao mogućim rješenjem dijela prometnih i ekoloških problema u gradu te kao relativno jeftinim i svakako zdravim oblikom alternativnog javnog gradskog prijevoza, što je i cilj ovog rada.Although the concept of public bicycles has been around for more than fifty years, only in the recent few years has it asserted itself, by introducing advanced technology, as a significant element of the transportation and cultural image of a growing number of cities, predominantly European. This paper will show the features of the community bicycle program as an addition to the conventional means of public transportation. Given that the available literature shows that public bicycles are a growing trend in the world, we will try to analyze this phenomenon and consider the possibility of introducing such a system in Zagreb. Even a superficial analysis shows that the transportation infrastructure of Zagreb is designed for the automobile. However, the perspective of increasing costs of living, especially transportation, goes to show that a large number of citizens will be forced to substitute their daily car commute for some form of public transportation. In this context, there is a clear necessity to familiarize the general public of Zagreb, the city council, and other interested parties with the benefits and drawbacks of the community bicycle program as a potential solution to a part of the city’s transport and environmental problems and as a cheap and healthy alternative form of public transportation, and that is the purpose of this paper