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?

Starting September 1, 2022, USI is pleased to offer discounted rates for subscriptions to the bike-sharing service on the wide Publibike national network to all its members - students, teachers, assistants, researchers and employees.

How it works (further details, here):
PubliBike is a mechanical and electric bicycle rental system managed through automatic stations that operate 7 days a week - 24 hours a day. Through this service, it is possible to borrow a bicycle from one station and return it to another one once you arrive at your destination. The Ticino network is constantly growing and has 100 stations with 720 bikes (PubliBike - Map). In August 2022, PubliBike and the other major Swiss bike sharing company joined forces: this merger will create the largest interconnected bike sharing network in Switzerland. PubliBike currently has eight networks throughout Switzerland, while Intermobility with Velospot has ten. The systems will be linked so that in the future bicycles from both operators can be used in 18 cities or regions with a single subscription (further details, here).

Rates and terms of use for members of the USI community:
The subscription to the PubliBike national network, with the USI discounted rates, costs CHF 50.- for 12 months or CHF 30.- for 7 months. A cost - less than CHF 1 per week - significantly lower than regular PubliBike fares. After registration (see the guide attached), the USI personal card (students and employees) will be activated for the PubliBike service. The conditions offered are also more favorable: the first 30 minutes (on both mechanical or electric bikes), or the time needed to move from one station to another, are free of charge. After the first 30 minutes, the card will be charged per minute (0.05 CHF/min for mechanical bicycles, 0.10 CHF/min for electric bicycles). It is also possible to rent up to 5 bicycles at the same time, but beware: only the first one will have the special conditions mentioned above; the standard PubliBike B-Quick rates will apply to use the others.

Registration:

1. Access the registration platform by clicking on >> LINK <<, choose Università della Svizzera italiana and log in via SWITCH edu-ID.
2. Fill in the form with your data or check that they are correct in case you are already registered. ATTENTION: it is possible to use an email other than the institutional one.
3. Choose the desired subscription: annual subscription at a cost of CHF 50 or 7-month subscription at a cost of CHF 30.
4. After accepting the general conditions of use, click on "REGISTER". By doing so, the data will be transmitted to PubliBike.
5. --> In case of first registration only: Shortly after, you will receive, at the registered email adress, an automatic message from PubliBike with the instructions on how to update or create a new password to access the profile. ATTENTION: The email address and the new password will also become the login data for the online and PubliBike mobile app.
6. Once you have activated (or updated) your account, you will have to log into your PubliBike account and enter your credit (or PostFinance) card details in the "Means of payment" section (only if it is not already present). ATTENTION: In order for the payment method to be registered, you have to validate it with the appropriate button. 

IMPORTANT:
The previous 2021 USI offer will remain valid only until September 15, 2022. Those who already have a previous subscription will have time from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 to renew, for a fee, their subscription and take advantage of the new, still favorable rates. Without renewing, from Sept. 16, every previous subscription will automatically become a standard B-Quick subscription, which has no fixed monthly or annual fees, but does imply per-ride charges from the first minute. Those who have never yet made a 'CampusBike' subscription will be able to proceed regularly from September 1, 2022 with their first subscription under the new tariff conditions.

PubliBike customer service: +41 32 501 40 16

Other useful information:
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.