Every ride counts

Donkey Republic is on a mission to create a better world by making truly sustainable mobility available to everyone.

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Donkey Republic is on a mission to create a better world by making truly sustainable mobility available to everyone.

Get the app

It's greener on our side of the road

Reduce Congestion

Fewer cars, more bikes. Previous studies have shown: on a 3,5 km trip, riders go 34% faster than drivers on average.

Minimising Emissions

In the last report of the International forum of mobility, if urban mobility were based on shared vehicles, CO2 emissions from traffic could fall by 60%.

Improving Public Health

If more people chose to walk or cycle to get around, in combination with well-planned public transportation, this could significantly contribute to their health.

Better use of Public Space

Well-planned shared mobility services can increase public transport ridership and decrease the geographical zones needed to travel around.

Back in the day, donkeys were a common and democratic form of transport – that everyone could get around on.

With Donkey Republics growing herd of bikes across Europe and beyond, we are working to get people to join the republic and be a part of democratizing green mobility, to not only transform cities, but lives.

Today more than 70% of Europeans live in cities and therefore transforming the way we move is critical in achieving a sustainable future. Basically there are 4 major areas that bike sharing has a positive impact on:

Our impact in numbers

Why ‘Every Ride Counts’?

We mean it when we say that every ride counts. Here you can see calculations of the impact of choosing a Donkey over other means of transportation. The methodology of calculating the impact has been elaborated together with the University of Dresden in 2020.

We further survey our riders on an ongoing basis in order to understand which mode of transportation a Donkey trip replaces. The sources for the base values on emissions, congestion and health benefits can be found below

Donkey Republic makes people bike instead of taking the car, bus or train

The figure shows the means of transportation that a trip on a Donkey bike replaces. The data is based on an ongoing survey to our riders. It is regularly updated.

Scientific Findings

Donkey Republic believes in data transparency when it comes to our sustainability data and findings. Here below is a list of data and reports that we base most of our data and findings on:

Cost / Benefit to Society	Considered effects	Studies utilized
Health	Physical activity Accidents Air pollution	DTU / COWI: Transport økonomiske enhedspriser for cykling Eurostat: Handbook on the external costs of transport
Climate change	LCA – GHG emissions	OECD: Assessing the Environmental Performance of New Mobility Umweltbundesamt (2021): Umweltfreundlich mobil! Ein ökologischer Verkehrsartenvergleich für den Personen- und Güterverkehr in Deutschland; Umweltbundesamt (2022): Vergleich der durchschnittlichen Emissionen einzelner Verkehrsmittel des Linien- und Individualverkehrs im Personenverkehr in Deutschland
Congestion	Time delay costs	Eurostat: Handbook on the external costs of transport

Our commitments

At Donkey Republic we are committed to challenge ourselves and the entire mobility industry to rethink what it means to be a sustainable mobility company fighting for the creation of sustainable cities today – not tomorrow!

Advocating for global sustainability standards – No greenwashing

Donkey Republic is on a mission to establish global sustainability assessment standards in the mobility industry. We are committed to challenge ourselves and the entire mobility industry to rethink what it means to be a sustainable mobility company.

Why?
The industry is flooded with claims of reducing carbon emissions but there is a lot of “greenwashing” in the mobility industry. Donkey Republic wants to remove this from the industry and that is why we are committed to advocate for a new assessment standard for sustainability that is recognized by national or multinational institutions representing public interest. This standard can reassure that the entire mobility industry can be held accountable for their claims towards benefiting a sustainable development.

How?
We lead by example, making sure that our impact numbers are based on data that stems from third-party credible institutions. We make sure to be data transparent in regards to what scientific findings our data is based on and share this information publicly as you see on this site. We advocate in public forums and through international institutions. Donkey Republic is a member of Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) that aligns all business and commercial actors in a common mission to change the way we move. Erdem Ovacik, co-founder and now Executive board member is also a board member of CIE. The goal of CIE is working towards a modal shift to active mobility and cycling in line with EU’s commitment to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050.

Democratizing transportation

Donkey Republic believes in making sustainable mobility available to everyone

Why?
Transportation in cities has a significant impact on people’s lives as it is key to ensuring people’s ability to access the opportunities offered by the city. Today not all transport systems are evenly distributed: some people have more transport possibilities than others and some can travel much faster than others and in more directions.

How?
Donkey Republic’s name basically tells the story of how we are working towards this goal. Back in the day, donkeys were a common and democratic form of transport that everyone could get around on. With Donkey Republics growing herd of affordable and accessible bikes across Europe and beyond, we are working to get people to join the republic and be a part of democratizing green mobility, to not only transform cities, but lives.

Minimising emissions in cities

Donkey Republic is committed to making cities more livable.

Why?
Today, cities are facing serious air and CO2 pollution rate issues with road transport being the second largest source of CO2 emissions in the EU according to the European Environment Agency. Furthermore air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing around 400,000 premature deaths per year according to a report published by European Cyclist Federation in 2018.

How?
Donkey Republic’s bikes offer alternative means of transportation for trips that might otherwise have been made by car and, thus can contribute positively to minimising emissions and reducing congestion.

Improving public health

Donkey Republic is focused on the physical and mental health benefits from using our bikes.

Why?
According to WHO more than 80% of the European population is expected to live in urban areas by 2030, which means that cities play a pivotal role in promoting and protecting health and well-being. In recent years several member states of the WHO European Region have observed troubling levels of physical inactivity that accounts for an increasing proportion of deaths and disability and is associated with significant health care costs and productivity losses.

How?
Bike-sharing services set itself apart from e-scooter services by offering an active transportation option, providing both physical and mental health benefits reducing mortality and morbidity. According to a report published by European Cyclist Federation in 2018 Cycling prevents 18,100 premature death per year in the EU-28, corresponding to an economic value of EUR 52bn per year. Cycling also contributes to healthier lives by helping to prevent a large number of severe and chronical diseases, for example: cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes (type 2), breast cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis.