Dublin Bikes are HERE!

The new public bike scheme has finally hit Dublin... The Press Release goes something like this:

"Cosmopolitan cities such as Paris, Lyon, Vienna, and Montreal all offer a public bike scheme. Dublin now joins this elite list. On 13th September 2009 dublinbikes will offer locals and visitors a non-polluting, traffic jam-beating form of transport to get around our capital city."

The concept is brilliant: there are 40 stations around the city centre - you pay 10 bucks a year for membership, have a €150 deposit to cover the cost of lost/stolen bikes and the first 30 minutes of rental are free - which basically covers you for taking the bikes most places within the city centre radius. Beware of keeping the bike longer than 24 hours though, or the full €150 will be deducted from your account.

Whether the International capital of binge drinking can cope with the responsibility remains to be seen. The organizers behind the scheme have the right ideas, such as keeping the 40 bike stations in well lit and publicly placed areas, and not allowing the bikes to be taken out after 12:30am (avoiding the inevitable 3am drunk ride home). But I know the nearest station to my house (Mountjoy Sqaure) is often desolate and dark after sunset. Erp.

Any scheme that's trying to reduce pollution, fuel costs and traffic, places high in my "good list"... I just hope it doesn't result in any injuries (or God-forbid fatalities) from numerous inexperienced cyclists on the road.

Aside from their website, I haven't actually checked out the look & feel of the bikes or kiosks, so definitely a full report to come soonish...

For full info about the program, visit their website:
http://www.dublinbikes.ie/