GERMANY: TWO GERMAN ENTREPRENEURS UNVEIL THEIR NEW 'CALL A BIKE' VENTURE IN MUNICH

Record ID: 496297

  • Title: GERMANY: TWO GERMAN ENTREPRENEURS UNVEIL THEIR NEW 'CALL A BIKE' VENTURE IN MUNICH
  • Date: 18th April 2000
  • Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (APRIL 18, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. NIGHT TIME WIDE SHOT OF STREET 0.06 2. CLOSE UP OF CLOCK SAYING 10 MIN TO MIDNIGHT 0.10 3. SCU: CALL-A-BIKE VAN DRIVING TO A HALT 0.19 4. VARIOUS: CALL-A-BIKE EMPLOYEE UNLOADING BIKES (4 SHOTS) 0.44 5. VARIOUS OF BIKES BEING LOCKED AND CLOSE UP OF ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM (3 SHOTS) 1.03 6. VARIOUS VIEWS OF MAN WRITING DOWN BIKE CODE NUMBERS WITH TELEPHONE BOOTH IN BACKGROUND, CLOSE UP OF MAN WRITING DOWN NUMBERS (2 SHOTS) 1.12 7. SV: MAN WALKING INTO PHONE BOOTH 1.18 8. VARIOUS VIEWS OF MAN DIALLING AND CLOSE UP OF TELEPHONE NUMBER (2 SHOTS) 1.30 9. VARIOUS VIEWS OF PARKED BIKES AND CLOSE UP OF BIKES AND ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM (3 SHOTS) 1.42 10. SCU: CALL-A-BIKE EMPLOYEE ON THE TELEPHONE 1.47 11. WS: MAN WALKING BY PARKED BIKES AND TELEPHONE BOOTH 1.51 12. CLOSE UP OF BIKES AND CALL-A-BIKE TELEPHONE NUMBER 1.59 MUNICH, GERMANY (APRIL 19, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. CU: DAYTIME SHOT OF CALL-A-BIKE FLAGS 2.04: 14. VARIOUS VIEWS OF PARKED BIKES WITH CLOSE UP VIEWS (2 SHOTS) 2.16 15. VARIOUS VIEWS OF JOSEF GUNDEL, CO-FOUNDER OF CALL-A-BIKE LAUNCHING CALL-A-BIKE AND JOURNALISTS (3 SHOTS) 2.30 16. CLOSE UP OF BIKE REGISTRATION NUMBER 2.34 17. SCU: SOUNDBITE (German) JOSEF GUNDEL SAYING: "Munich was always going to be our pilot project. We both come from Munich and of course, feel an affinity to it. If Call-a-Bike proves to be a success then it would make sense if we introduced the Call-a-Bike service to Hamburg and Berlin" 2.50 18. CLOSE UP OF PARKED BIKES 2.54 19. SCU: SOUNDBITE (German) JOSEF GUNDEL SAYING: "We have taken into consideration that bikes will break down and parts will have to be replaced. We hope to offer our customers bicycles that are both sturdy and fun" 3.09 20. CLOSE UP OF BIKES 3.13 21. PAN OF PARKED BIKES AND FOUNTAIN 3.23 22. GV: MUNICH TOWN CENTRE 3.27 23. VARIOUS VIEWS OF MAN WALKING PAST PARKED BIKES INTO PHONE BOOTH AND DIALING (2 SHOTS) 3.42 24. VARIOUS VIEWS OF FEMALE CALL CENTRE OPERATOR SPEAKING TO CUSTOMER ON PHONE (2 SHOTS) 3.51 25. VARIOUS VIEWS OF FEMALE CALL CENTRE OPERATOR ON SPEAKING TO MAN ON TELEPHONE, AND WORKING ON COMPUTER (4 SHOTS) 4.15 26. VARIOUS VIEWS OF MAN WALKING OUT OF BOOTH TO PARKED BIKE AND UNLOCKED BIKE (2 SHOTS) 4.33 27. LV: CUSTOMER CYCLES AWAY 4.40 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 3rd May 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MUNICH, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA592R0JQK9L6WWJ1OHJT0WSCNT
  • Story Text: The launch of Munichs latest cycle hire service
    promises to obliterate forever those long treks home for
    missing the last nightbus.

    Christian Hogl and Josef Gundel have worked on this
    idea for several years.The two Munich students launched their
    cycle hire firm called Call a Bike on Wednesday 19 April, by
    distributing 2000 bicycles all around Munich city centre.

    Gone are the hours spent on adjusting oily chains and the
    drama surrounding the repairing of broken down bicycles,
    according to Gundel.

    Only registered users will obtain access to the bicycles,
    which will bear individual identification numbers.

    Potential customers will only have to make a phonecall in
    order to hire a bicycle, at a standard charge of DM 3.60
    ($1.24) on top of DM 1.80 ($0.62) deposit.

    According to Hogl and Gundel, Munichs latest cycle hire
    firm is not part of yet another well meant ecological policy,
    but primarily, a profit making venture.

    They have so far invested a total of around DM 7.5 Million
    ($2.53 Million) most of it from investors.

    At the cost of DM 2000 ($688.2) per bicycle, the two
    entrepreneurs will be at pains to avoid losing the bicycles
    through theft.

    Hogl, an information technology student came up with a
    specially designed locking system.He and his business partner
    allege that the bikes are extremely secure and joked that to
    attempt to steal them would be equivalent to attempting the
    theft of a fire engine.

    On telephoning the firm, customers will quote both their
    registration number and the individual cycle identification
    number, obtain a code number which will then release a
    bicycle.

    The code number will be changed on return of the bicycle,
    ready for the next user.

    Call a Bike claims it can break even with around 50 000
    customers and hopes to amass around 100 000 customers in three
    years.

    The firm has employed a total of around 100 staff, 20 of
    whom will run its call centre, and will hire out the bicycles
    for a maximum time of 48 hours.

    About 15% of Munich residents are regular cyclists
    which bodes possible success for Call a Bike.

    Similar cycle hire projects have been tried out in various
    other European cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam.


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