Microbial safety tests to begin in July at high-traffic rental stations
Daejeon, which bills itself as a bicycle-friendly city, is moving to tighten hygiene and safety management for its public bike-sharing service, Tashu.
The Daejeon Institute of Health and Environment announced Friday that it will begin microbial safety testing on Tashu bikes in July to ensure biological safety and improve user satisfaction.
Ridership on Tashu has grown sharply since the city introduced a QR code-based rental and return system and a dockless model — dubbed "Tashu Season 2" — in 2022. The service has become an established eco-friendly mode of transport closely woven into residents' daily lives, particularly after a free-use-within-one-hour policy drew a strong public response.
For the upcoming inspections, authorities will select high-traffic rental stations with elevated usage rates. Tests will focus on handlebars and saddles — the parts most frequently touched by riders — with samples collected from about 200 Tashu bikes to check for hygiene indicator bacteria and pathogenic organisms.
Jeong Tae-yeong, director of the Daejeon Institute of Health and Environment, said Tashu has established itself as a representative public transport option that residents use in their daily lives. "Through systematic hygiene inspections, we will create an environment where citizens can use the service with greater peace of mind, and contribute to promoting cycling across the city," he said.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
