Samba Bike Sharing Program

Samba, a bike sharing system launched in 2008 in Rio de Janeiro, is proving popular with the city’s residents. Samba bike stations are placed along the Copacabana beach promenade of the Brazilian capital. The promenade is the hub of the city’s 140km of dedicated bike lanes, with the promenade road closed to motor traffic on Sundays. Bike sharers, including residents and tourists, register online for the scheme, then unlock bikes from stations using their mobile phone. Although there are currently only six bike sharing stations, the city aims to increase this to 42 by the end of the 2009.