Bikes for Dublin
Orla | September 27, 2007Just back from Paris (and our ill fated rugby match!) and I have to say we were all VERY impressed with the bicycle rental scheme that’s going on there! I had heard something about it on the news here before we left, and we were really looking forward to seeing how it will take off in Dublin.
SO how will they stop the knick-knacks sending them to a watery grave I hear you ask!
The way it works in Paris is: you go to one of the many bicycle stations (situated within a 300 meter radius of each other) pop in your credit card to lay down a deposit of €150 and then you purchase your ticket. You can purchase all manner of subscriptions to suit the length of your visit. The locals use a ‘smart’ card that you just swipe and go! Each journey is free for the first 30 mins, so what they are encouraging you do to do is use the bike to get to your destination and pop it back in the station. It keeps a majority of the bicycles in circulation for people to use.
It made getting around Paris a doddle – from the top of Rue St Denis to the Rive Gauche in jig time!
The bicycles themselves are tamper-proof, un-deflatable tyres with three gears and the essential bell to warn pedestrians of your arrival! We couldn’t find that much information about the Dublin scheme, but it seems like the same company are behind it. JC Decaux are footing the bill in exchange for a number of adverting spots around the city.
Sounds like a brilliant idea. I’d love to see it working here. Mind you, drunken cycling is not advised !!
i resently came back from traveling germany and some citys and towns you need a bike because the place is so big. on the other hand we are talking about Dublin here. anyway dont most poeple just rob them in the first place?
Hi, I live in Barcelona and the same scheme runs here (you subscribe to the service for annual fee, and then first 30 mins each journey free, following rates very cheap) Tons of people use it- most of the bikes going round are these rental ones. Seems like it works really well.
This is a great system of getting around a city, it does work in places like Berlin and is quite successful!! don’t think so in Dublin, I have experienced young kids in broad daylight removing bikes in public places and no one seems to mind!
Bring it on,but watch out for Dublin traffic.
Hopefully the bike hire people here wont get too upset – maybe it will start a resurgence of bicycling which is a good (green) thing.
There’s a secure place to park your bike if you stay at Almara B&B Dublin (http://www.freewebs.com/dublinbandb)
[...] Community Blog, Montreal, Portland, Yellow Bike Program at 8:03 am by Digital Dame I ran across Dublin Community Blog via Just Williams in which a scheme is in the works to provide public bicycles in the city of [...]
Bring it on I say…..
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Thanks,
Tristan