Discounts for cyclists: DB Rad+ app launched in Berlin

Cyclists in Berlin and Brandenburg can now convert the kilometers they have ridden into vouchers, for example with Deutsche Bahn.

"The discounts earned will hopefully be an incentive for more people to switch to bicycles," said Transport Senator Bettina Jarasch on Thursday, according to a statement on the launch of the DB Rad+ app in the capital region. The Senate Department for Transport and Deutsche Bahn are collaborating on the project. The scope for the region covers a large circle around Berlin, including Königs Wusterhausen, Ludwigsfelde, Kleinmachnow, Hennigsdorf, Oranienburg, Bernau and Erkner. The app cannot be used in Potsdam.

Tracking bike rides via app

In order to collect miles and exchange them for coupons, cyclists have to press a start button in the app at the beginning of their ride. Then the position determination begins. The app then counts the kilometers traveled. According to a Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman, the GPS speed is monitored, among other things, to rule out abusive measurements, for example in a car. The other methods used for this test are classified as company secrets.

Vouchers and discounts

The kilometer credits earned can be converted into rail travel vouchers, for example - for every 100 kilometers traveled, there is a five-euro discount on the purchase of an online ticket. But the kilometers can also be redeemed elsewhere, for example for vouchers at an organic food supplier or a coffee roaster. In other cities, the offer has been available for longer. In Hamburg, for example, more than one million kilometers have been recorded with the app since April 2021.