Sunday 13th September last saw the launch of Dublin City Council’s latest cycle initiative known as ‘Dublinbikes’.
In 2006, Dublin City Council announced they had done a deal with Advertising giants J.C. Decaux to provide advertising spaces throughout the city in return for the provision and maintenance of bicycles and bike stations placed across the city centre.
J. C. Decaux operates similar schemes in various cities across Europe including Paris, Lyon and Vienna. The deal was struck for fifteen years and is believed to be worth €1million per annum.
The 450 purpose-built bikes are heavier than normal bikes and considered ideal for short city runs. Custom-made in France they are a unisex model with three gears and un-inflatable tyres. At a cost of €350 per bike the fleet is described as ‘damage resistant’.
The bikes will be docked at one of the 40 bike stations located between the canals. Stations will stretch from the Mater Hospital on the northside to the Grand Canal in the south, with Docklands being the station furthest east and Smithfield being the furthest west. 24 stations will be on the southside with the remaining 16 being north of the river.
J. C. Decaux will have the use of 72 advertising spaces from the Council as their part of the deal. DCC spokesperson on the cycling initiative, Paul Heffernan says there is real excitement around the project, which is aimed at native Dubliners and visitors alike.
To join the scheme, customers must log onto www.dublinbikes.ie. They then choose either a long-term subscription at €10 or a short three-day subscription for a fee of €2. Credit card details are given and the customer is issued with a personal pin number which will allow them to get a bike from any station.
The first 30 minutes of bike hire is free, and hire rates are then staggered so as to encourage short term usage. One hour costs just 50 cents, two hours €1.50, three hours €3.50, and four hours €6.50. Thereafter, each 30 minutes is charged at €2.00. When finished, the customer can return the bike to any station.
The website was launched on 14th August last and has received a huge number of visitors, but not many visitors have gone on to subscribe. DCC are happy that the subscriptions have passed the 1000 mark.
The bike stations are closed from 1.30am to 5.30am, so the bikes are available for 19 hours of hire a day.
One long-time cyclist commented recently ‘at best, it is a start and things have to start somewhere’, but the scheme has raised many questions.
Some motorists and cyclists claim the positioning of some of the advertising hoardings can impair the clear views at certain junctions and so are a danger.
Stuart Fogarty of Ireland’s largest ad agency HFA O’Meara said the 72 ad sites were worth in excess of €100 million. Also, the ad sites are operating since last year, long before any sign of the bikes.
In Paris the ‘Velib’ scheme has 12 bikes for each station, in Dublin we get six. Paris also has more stations in proportion to population. The ratio of bikes to dwellers is one bike per 110 residents in Paris. In Dublin it is one bike per 1,124 residents.
The bikes are located close to key tourist sites and areas yet there are none at Connolly Station, none at Heuston, and none at Busaras, where they would surely be of use to commuters
Complaints apart, Dublin is an ideal size for cyclists and lacks the steep terrain of other capitals, so our city can and should become a great place for cyclists.
The City Council must look to cities such as Copenhagen which lead the way in creating a safe environment for cycling. More and better cycle lanes are needed with safety being a huge priority. It would make for a fitter, happier and healthier city, not the traffic jam full of angry motorists being dodged by two-wheeled prospective organ donors we have today.