The Turkish city of Konya has partnered with its first private shared e-bike operator, marking another step in its long-running push to become Turkey’s leading cycling hub.
Under an exclusive 10-year agreement, Turkish operator Tripy has launched 250 shared e-bikes across the city, with a further 250 set to be deployed as demand grows.
The rollout marks Konya’s first citywide shared e-bike scheme. It began after the city’s recent recognition by Brussels-based non-profit ACES Europe, which formally named Konya the 2026 European Capital of Cycling last December.
“We believe that with this service the rate of bicycle use in Konya, which will carry the title of European Cycling Capital in 2026, will increase even further,” Konya Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay said following confirmation of the partnership with Tripy.
“Konya is widely considered Turkey’s cycling leader,” Tripy CEO Dr. Ali Onuralp Ünal told Zag Daily. “Cycling is deeply embedded in the city’s culture and it’s home to one of the nation’s longest cycling networks of 680 kilometres, a highly-suitable flat geography and a young population.
“The city is expected to see one of the highest cycling ridership rates in Turkey, with usage levels anticipated to exceed European averages.”
Behind Konya’s cycling crown
Konya’s title of the European Capital of Cycling, awarded in the European Parliament, reflects a cycling culture that stretches back years.
Turkey’s largest province by surface area, Konya counted more than 800,000 bicycles in 2021 – over a third of its 2.2 million residents at the time.
Its flat terrain has long made the city naturally suited to cycling but sustained public investment under Mayor Altay has turned that advantage into one of the country’s most comprehensive cycling networks, stretching nearly 700 kilometres.
One of Konya’s most distinctive initiatives came earlier in the decade, when the city converted an old tram on its university line into a bicycle-only service. The tram features fold-out ramps for easier boarding and modified interiors with bicycle mounts and locking mechanisms, designed to better accommodate cyclist movement across the city.
Beyond infrastructure, Konya has embraced cycling as part of its cultural identity. Last week, the city opened the Velespit Museum, a dedicated bicycle museum celebrating the history and social impact of cycling in the region.
Dr. Ünal credits much of Konya’s success to mayoral leadership. “Mayor Altay is a strong advocate of cycling who actively listens to citizens, plans with a long-term vision and has gained strong international recognition,” he said.
“Konya has cycling facilities that are rarely seen in many European cities and cyclists can directly communicate their needs to the mayor, creating a unique governance model that strongly supports sustainable mobility development.”
The city’s new title of European Capital of Cycling is not its first formal crown. In 2023, Konya was named World Capital of Sport by ACES Europe, praising its “top-level” sports infrastructure including an Olympic velodrome and a 42,000-seat stadium that later welcomed thousands of international visitors for the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games.
Tripy’s e-bike plan for Konya
Konya has selected Tripy as its exclusive shared e-bike operator for the next 10 years, marking the company’s fifth operational market.
Tripy’s service is available to users across the metropolitan area, with plans for further scaling and “technology enhancements” in the coming months.
Unlike tourism-driven or heavily congested metropolitan cities, Konya’s cycling demand is largely commuter-based and remains consistent throughout the year. According to Dr Ünal, this is supported by cyclist-first infrastructure including dedicated bike parking, bicycle trams and cyclist-priority crossings.
“All of this is supported by flat geography and high-quality road design that integrates cycling into daily urban life,” Dr Ünal said.
Tripy now plans to build on that commuter foundation. “Our goal is to steadily increase daily ridership, embed e-bikes into everyday commuting and grow revenue in high-demand locations such as universities, transit hubs and city centres.”
Since its inception, the operator has reported five million kilometres travelled on its e-bikes and approximately 400 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided.
With its first shared e-bike scheme now live, Konya is continuing to translate its cycling ambitions into everyday mobility, strengthening its reputation not just as Turkey’s cycling capital but as an emerging European benchmark for bike-friendly cities.
