Virukeskus
Foodhall
New charging areas have been set up around Viru Keskus, offering also the option of charging the batteries of light vehicles while they are parked. In cooperation with Bikeep the total of 12 charging stations have been set up for e-bikes and 20 places for e-scooters as well
Micromobility – using light vehicles – and their booming popularity is a fine example of people fighting for cleaner urban spaces and distancing from the present car-centred ideas. The micromobility charging station Vooluring of Viru Keskus is a solution that encourages people to travel ever more by using e-bikes and -scooters in the very heart of the city.
According to Kristel Sooaru, the communication and marketing manager of Viru Keskus, a shopping centre located in the heart of the city has a significant role in developing high quality urban spaces. “Improving the living environment starts with the individual person. Viru Keskus is always focused on environmentally sustainable and customer friendly solutions. Thus it was a completely natural choice to extend the Viru Vooluring solution for electric cars and mopeds on the IV floor of our centre to bikes and scooters as well,” said Sooaru.
Kristjan Lind, the founder and executive manager of Bikeep said that this is a comprehensive solution meant for the users of light vehicles who are looking for a parking space to visit the shopping centre. “Urban space is the responsibility of us all, not just city officials, because our mobility choice determines air purity, with it we help to create a safer environment for our children and set an example to them. Projects next to shopping centres and chain stores are key, because this is one of the points of contact where road users travel daily. As a cyclist I choose a shop based on the secure parking options offered there, but this consideration is even more important for providing charging to e-bikes and e-scooters,” Lind added.
It is particularly notable in this project as all these three champions of better urban spaces are Estonian companies: infrastructure (Bikeep), e-bike (Ampler) and the location where they are needed in the heart of the city (Viru Keskus). The project has received a warm welcome: the bike parks in Viru Keskus have been used for more than 2 000 times in the first month of operation
There is a bike park and charging area next to all the entrances of Viru Keskus, with the area for e-bikes marked separately with the colours of Viru Vooluring. All in all there are spaces for parking 37 standard bikes and 12 e-bikes at the same time, and also charging and parking stations for scooters, for 20 bikes in total.
The Bikeep parking stations in Viru Keskus are completely free for customers for two hours. They can also charge their e-bikes or e-scooters at the special parking spaces marked green in the parking area. For charging insert the charger conveniently in the socket located in the station and close the cover. The design of the smart solution closes the charging dock as soon as you lock the bike with the lever.
