Dublin still going ahead with troubled bike hire idea
Wednesday February 11 2009
DESPITE the setbacks experienced in Paris, the rollout of the eco-bikes for Dublin city will begin by the end of the month and will be ready for use by the end of the summer.
The installation of the bike facilities is expected to start by the end of February, and the process will take four to five months to complete, according to Dublin City Council (DCC).
"The bikes will be coming on-stream in the next four or five months," said a spokesperson for DCC. "The enabling works to provide 40 bike stations will commence at the end of this month.
"There will be nine bikes in each station, and we have to go to each station and start digging holes so the bikes can be installed." However, only 40 locations in the city will have the bicycles before next autumn, instead of the originally planned 50 locations.
Despite this, council officials insist that the amount of bikes being brought into the centre will not decrease, since areas with the highest footfall will receive multiple bicycle racks.
The city's train and bus stations, in particular, will receive more than one bike rack.
Each station will have a slot machine-type facility, which will look similar to pay-and-display parking meters, and it will involve "a very sophisticated technological system", allowing people to rent the bikes. The idea is that users will get their money back when they return the bike. The roll-out of the bikes is the only remaining phase left, in a process which started when JC Decaux was awarded the contract back in December 2006.
"JC Decaux metro poles and metro panels are in place since September 2008," added the spokesperson.
The DCC spokesperson said that JC Decaux will also have responsibility for the maintenance of the bikes in Dublin. "JC Decaux will provide a full maintenance and replacement programme for the bikes. They'll replace any bike that will be damaged."
Meanwhile, Cllr Paddy McCartan said it would be far better if the scheme was up and running before the summer.
"I'd prefer to see it earlier. To get the benefit out of the bicycles, you'd need to have it starting in May."
hnews@herald.ie
- Geraldine Gittens
