The Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca has reintroduced its smart sports bus station, which gives city residents the ability to ride the bus for free if they complete 20 squats in two minutes.
In a bid to encourage a healthy lifestyle among city residents, the initiative was created by the city’s ‘Sports Festival’ team, and has returned in 2021 after a successful 2020. Dubbed the ‘health ticket’, the ticket is valid for a one-way trip across the city, which usually costs around 2.50 RON (0.80c AUD).
Squats are counted by a device at the bus stop that measures the kneeling of a person squatting. Once completed, the ticket is then printed and the person is able to ride the bus. Tickets are able to be accessed between the hours of 8:00am-8:00pm, with the price of the ticket covered by digital marketing company SYKES Romania.
The initiative is launched during European Sports Week, in an attempt to encourage city residents to implement exercise into their daily routine. The squat itself is a fairly straightforward exercise, but delivers a number of health benefits for those that incorporate it into their daily lives.
The ‘health ticket’ scheme was a huge success last year, with reports indicating nearly 1 million squats were completed, resulting in 55,000 bus tickets and approximately 1,900 hours of exercise.
The smart sports bus station is located on Memorandumului Street next to the existing bus stop, near the Mărăști district.
