Bikes

We're USIng bikes!
Do you have to run a quick errand downtown? Do you want to easily move around the city? Do you prefer to leave your car in the Park&Ride outside the city and reach USI by bike?

USI is pleased to offer discounted rates for subscriptions to the bike-sharing service on the extensive and renovated Publibike Velospot national network to all its members - students, teachers, assistants, researchers and employees.

How it works:
PubliBike Velospot is a mechanical and electric bike rental system managed through automatic stations that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through this service, you can borrow a bike from one station and return it to another once you have reached your destination. In Ticino, the network has more than 120 stations spread throughout the territory (Map), especially around the USI campuses in Lugano, Mendrisio and Bellinzona.

Rates and terms of use for members of the USI community:

From 1 September 2025, a subscription to the Ticino PubliBike Velospot network, with the USI discount rate, will cost CHF 59 for 12 months or CHF 39 for 7 months.
This cost – approximately CHF 1 per week – is significantly lower than the normal PubliBike tariffs. Once the subscription has been purchased, bicycles can only be unlocked using the mobile app (PubliBike Velospot Zona1) or your Swisspass (after registering it in the aforementioned app).
The usage costs are also more favourable:

• for mechanical bikes: the first 60 minutes of use are free, after which 10 cents per minute will be charged;
• for electric bikes: the first 15 minutes of use are free, after which 20 cents per minute will be charged.

Please note: these rates are only valid for the local Ticino network, not for other PubliBike Velospot networks in Switzerland. For those wishing to take out a national subscription, valid on all Swiss networks, see below.

Registration:

1. Download to your mobile phone the app: PubliBike Velospot (Zone 1).
2. Open the app and click on the “account” logo (figure icon).
3. Select: “New account? Sign up” [even if you are already a PubliBike user!].
4. Select: ‘Sign up with your phone number’ [even if you are already a PubliBike user!].
5. a) For users who already have a PubliBike subscription: enter exclusively the email address associated with your existing PubliBike account and do not enter any promotional code.
   b) For new users: enter exclusively your USI institutional email address and use one of the following two promotional codes (depending on the subscription you want):

• usi2312: for those who want a 1-year subscription (CHF 59)
• usi237: for those who want a 7-month subscription (CHF 39).

6. Register a payment method [even if you are already a PubliBike user!].
7.  If necessary, register your SwissPass if you wish to link it to your PubliBike subscription [even if you are already a PubliBike user!].
8. a) Users who already have a PubliBike subscription: at this point, the old subscription, which remains valid until its expiry date, will be automatically migrated to the new application. Any credits on the old PubliBike account will not be transferred automatically. To recover them, you will need to contact the dedicated support service: [email protected]);
   b) New users: at this point, a confirmation email will be sent to the institutional email address you provided, and you will need to validate the verification link in the email.

Additional useful information:

• Promotional codes are only valid on the new PubliBike Velospot app (Zone 1) and only if you register using an institutional email address (e.g. @usi.ch).
• During the transition period in August 2025, you will need to use the “old” 'PubliBike' app to rent the “old” bikes (purple) and the new “PubliBike Velospot (Zone 1)” app to rent the new models (red).
• Users with an existing and still active PubliBike subscription will retain the previously agreed terms and conditions and tariffs until their subscription expires. However, they will need to migrate to the new PubliBike Velospot (Zone 1) app and re-register certain details as indicated above. They will then need to use the app to unlock and lock the bikes; the USI badge will no longer work.
• The unlocking and locking system remains unchanged: bikes are picked up and returned at a PubliBike Velospot station. What has changed is the unlocking method, which now takes place exclusively via QR code using the phone app (or with the SwissPass card, if previously registered in your account). It is no longer possible to use the USI badge to unlock bikes. When returning a bike, to lock and close the lock, simply end the rental directly from the phone app by scanning the bike's QR code again.
• If you would like to take out a national subscription, valid on all Swiss networks, please use the following promotional code:
  usi199: national BusinessBike subscription, valid for 1 year (CHF 199.-).

PubliBike Velospot customer service: +41 32 501 40 16 or [email protected]

For further information and advice regarding the use of bicycles, please refer to the links in the Quicklinks section.

USI is in no way responsible for your signing up for a PubliBike subscriptions. USI has entered into a regular contract with PubliBike to offer favorable conditions to all its users, i.e., all those with a valid USI badge. However, the decision to join the offer remains individual and the whole procedure is completely managed by PubliBike SA. USI's SostA Team remains available at all times for questions or clarifications, but any inquiries regarding the stipulation of subscriptions and/or billing and/or the use of bicycles and stations should be addressed exclusively and directly to PubliBike, through the channels indicated above or found on their official website.