MATERA: KM0 BIKE SHARING A SUCCESS BETWEEN INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Over 8,000 rentals and 32,200 km traveled in 6 months.

Matera, June 27, 2025

An event was held at Palazzo Malvinni-Malvezzi dedicated to sharing the results of the first six months of bike sharing in the city of Matera, active since last December. Participants included the Vice President of the Basilicata Region and Councillor for Transport Pasquale Pepe, the President of the Province of Matera Francesco Mancini, the Mayor of Matera Antonio Nicoletti, the General Director of A.P.T. Basilicata Margherita Sarli, the President of FAL Ferrovie Appulo Lucane Vittorio Zizza with the General Director of FAL Stefano Di Bello, and the CEO and Founder of VAIMOO Matteo Pertosa.

The bike sharing service is the result of a collaboration between the Basilicata Region, Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL), the City of Matera and VAIMOO S.r.l. (part of Angel Holding). Ministerial contributions for the promotion of Sharing Mobility were allocated, through the Basilicata Region, to FAL, which in turn, following a public notice, entrusted the management to VAIMOO. The service includes a fleet of 85 e-bikes distributed across 22 stations.

The project results are significant: in just six months, citizens and tourists have completed over 8,041 rentals, for a total of more than 7,077 hours of use and 32,197 km traveled (equivalent to 10 editions of the Giro d’Italia). This has saved approximately 5 tons of CO2 and among the most frequented stations are Matera Central Station, Via Firrao, Parco Papa Giovanni Paolo II, and Via Alighieri. The appreciation of the service by the citizens of Matera and tourists is evident from numerous video testimonials, as well as positive public reviews of the app on the stores.

In addition to mayors from various municipalities in Basilicata, Federciclismo Basilicata, the orders of architects and engineers, and various associations were present at the event.

At the Matera Media Library in Piazza Vittorio, from Friday afternoon, June 27, until Sunday, June 29, it will be possible to discover VAIMOO bike sharing and receive a promotional code that will allow you to use the service for free for 2 hours a day for 7 days.

All information on the service and the location of the stations is available on the website: https://matera.vaimoo.app/

“When innovation and the local territory pedal together, the finish line is always closer,” stated the Vice President and Councillor for Transport of the Basilicata Region, Pasquale Pepe. “The bike-sharing project launched in Matera is concrete proof of how sustainable mobility can become a driver for local development. Six months after the launch of the service operated by VAIMOO, the numbers speak for themselves: citizens and tourists are responding with enthusiasm to a modern, efficient, and human-scale proposal. It is not just a matter of electric bicycles, but of vision. We wanted to invest in a system that combines technological innovation with the enhancement of our production fabric: the e-bikes, used in many cities in Italy and Europe, are produced just a few kilometers from Matera, in the MERMEC Ferrosud plant. This means creating employment, local supply chains, and real growth. I thank Ferrovie Appulo Lucane for the strategic collaboration and VAIMOO for believing in our land. The Basilicata Region will continue to support initiatives that combine sustainability, industry, and smart services for citizens. We are only at the beginning: let’s keep pedaling. Together.”

“The experience Matera is having with bike sharing offers us a clear example of replicable success,” commented the President of the Province of Matera, Francesco Mancini. We firmly believe that this can and must become a solid argument to guide and support sustainable mobility policies on a much broader scale, contributing significantly to improving the quality of life and transport efficiency in every corner of the provincial territory. The project allows me to envision a goal: connecting the capital with neighboring municipalities and the countless provincial points of interest. Imagine the possibility of exploring the beauties of our province by bicycle, with the peace of mind of dedicated and interconnected infrastructure! A commitment that would translate into a significant improvement in accessibility and transport sustainability for our residents, and would significantly boost cycle tourism, a rapidly growing sector that can offer new and extraordinary economic opportunities to the entire provincial territory, from the largest centers to the most picturesque villages. In this scenario, the Province intends to act as a true coordinating and supporting body. Ultimately, the Matera experience clearly demonstrates that integrating light mobility with public transport is no longer a futuristic vision, but a concretely winning strategy. A strategy that not only improves the functionality and accessibility of the overall transport system but also brings significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. We promote a more sustainable lifestyle, making Matera and our entire Province an increasingly livable, attractive place projected toward a greener and more inclusive future.”

“It is good to know that the bike-sharing project, launched with the aim of encouraging sustainable and light mobility, is yielding positive results,” commented the Mayor of Matera, Antonio Nicoletti. The numbers speak of an initiative that has already met with good success, with many rentals recorded by both citizens and our guests. This demonstrates that the city is ready to change pace, focusing decisively on light and environmentally friendly transport solutions.
In this sense, the testimonials collected tell of how the shared bike has become part of the daily routine, contributing to improving the quality of life and reducing the impact of traffic. The first results encourage us to continue on this path, in order to close the gap in cycling infrastructure and further strengthen integration with public transport. The future of urban mobility is already in these aspects, and Matera wants to be a protagonist of this change.”

“The VAIMOO bike-sharing project in Matera represents a virtuous example of how innovation in sustainable mobility can combine environmental protection and the tourist enhancement of the territory,” commented the General Director of A.P.T. Basilicata, Margherita Sarli.. The thousands of rentals made by citizens and tourists, despite weather conditions that were not always favorable, demonstrate that the City of Stones has been able to enthusiastically embrace this new form of soft mobility. It will be important to continue on the path of sustainable innovation, always at the service of enhancing our territorial beauties and providing excellent tourist hospitality.”

“The usage data for this service speaks clearly: citizens and tourists have appreciated and rewarded the far-sighted choice that FAL made in launching the bike-sharing service as part of sharing mobility projects in collaboration with the Basilicata Region and the Municipality of Matera,” comments Vittorio Zizza, President of Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. – The Board and management of FAL, in constant synergy with local authorities, confirm through actions the will to guarantee users increasingly interconnected and sustainable mobility. Bike sharing, together with the increase in metropolitan services in the City of Matera, contributes to increasing the quality and quantity of services offered, with the aim of also increasing demand and building loyalty among the citizens of Basilicata toward our company and the use of public transport .”

“The collaboration between FAL and VAIMOO is proving to be a winning one: the bike-sharing service that we have also launched in Potenza, Altamura, and Gravina has been a great success here in Matera,” comments Stefano Di Bello, General Director of Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. The data shows an average of over 40 rentals per day, with positive effects on traffic decongestion and benefits for our users who can count not only on discounts from 56% to 85% on e-bike rental prices but also on an up-to-date interconnection service offered by FAL as a transport operator, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This is the mobility we have been committed to for years and which is taking shape day after day, in favor not only of modernity but above all of environmental protection.”

“It is with great satisfaction that we share the results of the first six months of this annual trial,” – stated Matteo Pertosa, CEO and founder of VAIMOO. – The ‘KM0‘ model works. Seeing the e- bikes, made in Matera and managed operationally by our local youth, is concrete proof that innovation, sustainability, and economic development can go hand in hand. These data are not just numbers, but tangible evidence of the positive impact on the quality of city life. The trial could be extended to the entire region, multiplying its benefits, or it will conclude at the end of this year.”

Photos and info for the press https://bit.ly/6mesiMatera