MOBIX has partnered with BUGEP, a non-governmental organization in Türkiye that promotes bicycle use and cycling culture. BUGEP and MOBIX are desirous of working together to accelerate developing and adopting sustainable mobility – particularly cycling – in Türkiye.
The overarching goal of this cooperation is to promote, support, and leverage cycling as an eco-friendly and sustainable transportation option, and to encourage as many people as possible to use the MOBIX app to earn Miles while cycling. BUGEP and MOBIX intend to achieve these objectives by organizing events, campaigns, and education programs that promote cycling and educate people about the benefits of sustainable transportation.
The Current Situation of Cycling in Türkiye
While insufficient infrastructure has held back cycling in Türkiye, there is growing recognition of the benefits of cycling for both personal health and the environment, leading to efforts to improve cycling infrastructure. Despite a slight drop in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish bicycle market has been steadily growing. As a result, bicycle unit sales in Türkiye are expected to reach 3.38 million by 2027.
Given its duty-free status as a member of the European Union, Türkiye has become one of the world’s largest exporters of bicycles. In 2018, Türkiye exported approximately 280,000 bicycles, a 58% increase over the previous year. That figure continued to rise afterward, with reports showing a 35% rise in exports to countries in the European Union like Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
When it comes to shared micromobility, Türkiye still is an emerging market bursting with opportunity – it remains a largely unexplored destination for most stakeholders in the shared mobility industry. With the market heading towards a value of $20 billion by 2030, it’s time to see whether the BUGEP – MOBIX cooperation can support and accelerate cycling, and micromobility in general, in Türkiye.
How BUGEP is Making a Difference in Türkiye
BUGEP was founded in İzmir in 2017 to encourage and promote bicycle use, expand the bicycle network, improve cycling safety, promote cycling culture, and raise bicycle awareness in Türkiye.
BUGEP promotes bicycle use in Türkiye through a variety of events and activities. These include the organization of cycling campaigns and activities. Furthermore, BUGEP has organized campaigns such as “Winter Bike to Work” and “Cycle to Work” to promote bicycle use and a more sustainable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
MOBIX – BUGEP Partnership
The MOBIX-BUGEP cooperation has the potential to benefit both organizations as well as the Turkish cycling community as a whole. MOBIX’s emphasis on incentivizing micromobility and promoting sustainable transportation complements BUGEP’s mission to promote cycling culture and bicycle use in Türkiye. This cooperation can accelerate the development and adoption of sustainable mobility, particularly cycling, in Türkiye.
“Incentivizing micromobility, and cycling in particular, is the core mission of MOBIX,” says Michael Reuter, CEO and Co-founder of MOBIX. “Our partnership with BUGEP demonstrates the importance of the Turkish market for MOBIX, as cities such as İstanbul, Ankara, or İzmir are extremely densely populated urban areas with huge challenges – and opportunities – for sustainable mobility. Kicking it off with the İzmir MOBIX Day, we are looking forward to encouraging as many people living in Türkiye to enjoy cycling and collecting MOBIX Miles!.”
MOBIX’s collaboration with BUGEP can help it expand its footprint in Türkiye. MOBIX can connect with more cyclists and micromobility users in Türkiye by partnering with a respected organization like BUGEP, which has local expertise and relationships. The collaboration may also assist MOBIX in developing new features and incentives to encourage more people to use its app.
For BUGEP, the partnership with MOBIX can provide new opportunities to promote cycling and sustainable mobility. By partnering with a technology company like MOBIX, BUGEP can leverage new tools and platforms to reach a wider audience and promote cycling in new ways.
„Partnering with MOBiX incentivizes BUGEP members to use the MOBIX app and receive special loyalty rewards in return. This way, BUGEP members use their bikes even more, and BUGEP can offer new incentives and rewards to cyclists by using the MOBIX app, which encourages more people to use cycling as a mode of transportation“, says Mustafa Karakus, Chairman of BUGEP.
Overall, the MOBIX-BUGEP cooperation represents an exciting opportunity for Türkiye to advance sustainable transportation and cycling. MOBIX and BUGEP can leverage their strengths to achieve their common goals, resulting in positive changes for Turkish cyclists and the environment.
Partnership Kick-off at İzmir MOBIX Day!
On April 29, 2023, Izmir MOBIX Day will mark the launch of the MOBIX marketplace at Entrepreneurship Center Izmir in Türkiye. The member cyclists of BUGEP and other micromobility users will contact MOBIX Market Partners, offering special products and services exclusively to MOBIX users.
Looking forward to seeing you on April, 29th! You also might want to join our MOBIX communities on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Telegram, and discuss all things ecomobility with the MOBIX team – see you there!