As of 1 June, Roma’n’Bike users will notice a number of differences starting with the usage fees. A flat rate of €0.50 per hour will substitute the prior scheme, which gave users the first 30 minutes for free, followed by steadily increasing half-hourly rates from €1 to €4. In lieu of the €30 refundable deposit currently required to sign up, new users will pay a €5 registration fee. As always, the cards are rechargeable at any tourist information point.

The service will also be available 24 hours a day, as opposed to the current operating hours from 07.00-23.00. Finally, users will be able to keep the bicycles for an entire day, up from the four-hour limit in place before.

Users who have already signed up with Roma’n’Bike and want their deposits refunded have until 30 June to return their bike cards, locks and chains to ATAC ticket offices at Lepanto, Spagna and Termini on metro A and fill in a form with details of the bank account for the refund.

All subscribers who choose to continue with the service must send a form (which should have been attached to the email informing all subscribers what to do but wasn't) via fax to Atac: 0646954667 not later than 30 June stating their choice.

Launched in June 2008, Roma’n’Bike has been operated on an experimental basis by Cemusa for almost a year. The trial period was originally intended to last six months, but was then extended after the city failed to come up with an agreement. The service risked shutting down altogether in March, after the city still had not come forward with an offer, but was then extended again following conciliatory remarks by mayor Gianni Alemanno. Although there have been no official statements, the decision to hand Rome’n’Bike’s management over to ATAC implies a definitive breakdown in negotiations between Cemusa and the city.

Roma’n’Bike’s new contact information (valid from 1 June) are tel. 0657003 and website www.atac-bikesharing.it.