The new app that incentivizes you to use green options for getting around
Official Press Release and photos by Sofia Development Association
If clean air is not one of the incentives that will get us out of our cars, then we need extra encouragement. That's why Sofia Municipality and Sofia Development Association have already provided a very easy way for citizens to receive rewards for their contribution to cleaner air in the city.
This unexpectedly good combination of cleaner air, a more active lifestyle, and rewards is now available through the use of a mobile app - Sofia Coin, developed by the INNOAIR project. It does not restrict you in any way, but only encourages alternative ways of getting around. It doesn't matter if you decide to walk, ride a standard or electric bike, ride an electric scooter, the result is the same - saved emissions for the environment, more physical activity for you, and a variety of rewards.
Prizes range from gloves and a cycling helmet to free concert tickets, tablets, and a surprise prize! It all depends on how many kilometers you cover in an environmentally friendly way. After each logged ride, you can see the distance you've traveled, how many harmful emissions you've saved, and you can share your achievements with friends and family.
Eventim, A1, E-bike rental, Hobo, and Brum join the cause by providing prizes that bring unforgettable experiences.
"Save yourself money for a ticket to a concert of your favorite band - use a bicycle, walk or any other alternative method that helps you think about your health, save money and have a good time" - Miroslav Emanoilov, CEO of Eventim for Bulgaria and Romania.
"Your city, your world – they need green energy. Alternative methods of getting around are that hidden force for cleaner air. Download, use, win ... With the Sofia Coin app, each one of us is part of the change for a different and greener city." - Dobromir Cholakov, manager of E-bike Rental.
More importantly, in addition to the individual awards, the most frequently used walking and cycling routes will be publicly announced every four months. These routes will be included in Sofia Municipality’s investment programme to ensure their good condition and user-friendly connections. In this way, the data from the app will be used to improve the cycling and walking policy in Sofia. "We have long needed an opportunity like Sofia Coin so that cyclist movements are reliably reflected by the municipality. Ride and report the kilometers cycled in the city - participation means a lot for the future development of our real needs for active transport," urges Radostina Petrova from the non-profit organization Bike Evolution.
The support of citizens is the most important to achieve sustainable urban mobility. "Every time we move sustainably, we improve our environment, our health, our economy and protect future generations," says Kristian Krastev, Project Manager of INNOAIR and Deputy Mayor for Transport and Urban Mobility, who is also among the users of alternative vehicles.
You can download the Sofia Coin app for Android from here or for iOS from here, and if you use it enough, unlock your rewards.
INNOAIR project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.
