Dublinbikes (styled "dublinbikes") is a public bicycle rental scheme which has operated in the city of Dublin since 2009. At its launch, the scheme, which is sponsored by JCDecaux, used 450 French-made[3] unisex bicycles with 40 stations.[4] By 2011, this had expanded to 550 bicycles and 44 stations, and in 2013 it was announced that a major expansion of the scheme would add a further 950 bikes and another 58 hire points.[5] Dublin was the 17th city to implement such a scheme,[4][6] and it was considered one of the most successful bike-sharing schemes in the world;[7] however, progress later stalled, with only 2 of 14 phases being rolled out.
| Dublinbikes | |
|---|---|
 | |
 A Dublinbikes docking station | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Dublin, Ireland |
| Transit type | Bicycle-sharing system |
| Number of stations | 115[1] |
| Daily ridership | 42,000 annual subscribers[2] |
| Website | dublinbikes |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | September 13, 2009 |
| Operator(s) | JCDecaux |
As of 2016[update] the scheme lost €376,000 a year, leading to further expansion of Dublin Bikes being put on hold.[8][9]
History
editThe scheme was announced by Dubin City Council in 2006 when JCDecaux received 72 free advertising spaces around Dublin in a 15-year deal in return for the advertising company's funding of the project.[3] Critics argued that the deal was an expensive one when compared to Copenhagen where companies pay to have their logos attached to the bicycle.[10] 450 bicycle stands were installed in groups of ten and twenty in forty locations around Dublin from June 2009.[3] The scheme was opposed by An Taisce who said it was "misuse of legislation by a local authority to facilitate a private development".[11]
The Dublinbikes scheme was launched on 13 September 2009, with around 150 ordinary cyclists embarking on their first ride behind John Tierney, Dublin City Manager, and Andrew Montague, a councillor who was representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin on the journey.[4]
It was announced on 18 June 2014 that Coca-Cola Zero would become a commercial partner with Dublinbikes for three years. Starting at the end of June 2014, the brand was renamed Coca-Cola Zero Dublinbikes and the Coca-Cola Zero brand was added to each individual bike in return for investment in the scheme.[12]
On 20 July 2017, Just Eat took over as the commercial partner for the next three years.[13] Just Eat invested €2.25 million in the scheme over the three-year period. This is a 15% increase on the Coca-Cola Zero investment in order to help the profitability and expansion of the service.[14] The brand was therefore renamed Just Eat dublinbikes and all 1,500 bikes had the new branding applied to them by August 2017. As part of the announcement, it was confirmed that an additional 15 stations would open in the city (predominantly around Grangegorman) and 100 bikes would be added to the network.[15]
On 9 December 2020, Dublin City Council and JCDecaux announced that Now TV would become the next sponsor of Dublinbikes, in a deal worth €2.25 million over three years. The Now TV partnership comes with the release of a new app that will allow users to release a bike from their smartphone.[16]
Progress
editThe scheme proved to be a great success, much exceeding predictions. Approximately 1,000 people used the bicycles in the first six hours, with a further thousand people having subscribed to use them.[4] Some 11,000 people applied in the first fortnight and Dublin City Council's supply of subscriber cards was reduced to zero, with the Council having initially targeted a 5,000-person uptake in the first year.[17] More than 25,000 people had applied to take part in the scheme by March 2010.[18] Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley said after the launch this level of uptake indicated the new "mainstream" approach to cycling in Ireland.[6]
In the first ten months of the scheme, it was reported that there were over 37,000 users, over 828,000 journeys, no accidents, no vandalism, and only one bike missing (which was recovered).[19]
On 10 May 2010 (post-launch), city councillors in Dublin voted for more advertising hoardings to be used to help with payments, with more than 30,000 people having subscribed (1,500 was the predicted number of subscribers for this stage of the project).[20] On 14 August 2010, it was announced that the scheme had reached its one millionth trip.[21] By May 2011, two million journeys had been made and the scheme had expanded to 550 bicycles and 44 stations.[22] In 2013 it was announced that a major expansion of the scheme would add a further 950 bikes and another 58 hire points.[5]
| Date | Long term | Total journeys (cumulative) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 April 2010[23] | 21,134 | 556,497 |
| May 2011[24] | 33,643 | 2,003,105 |
| 20 April 2012[25] | 3,500,000 | |
| 12 January 2013[26] | 4,674,277 | |
| 27 November 2013[27] | 36,636 | 6,037,199 |
| 13 September 2014[28] | 46,695 | 7,951,866 |
| 30 April 2015[29] | 54,808 | 10,568,398 |
| 16 May 2016[30] | 60,187 | 14,705,855 |
| 20 July 2017[31] | 66,883 | 19,811,383 |
| 21 March 2018[32] | 67,890 | 22,417,162 |
Cost to users
editTo use the system, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of rentals. Subscriptions can get a Long Term Hire Card costing €35,[33] or a 3-day ticket costing €5. Users also authorise Dublin Bikes to charge €150 from their credit card if the bike is not returned.[4] The first half-hour of every journey is free, after that a service charge applies. See below for pricing structure:
| Time | 30 min | 1 hr | 2 hrs | 3 hrs | 4 hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Free | €0.50 | €1.50 | €3.50 | €6.50 |
After 4 hours, every extra 30 minutes costs €2. In practice, the system is virtually free at the point of use for Long Term subscribers as over 95% of journeys last less than 30 minutes.[19]
Dublinbikes only accepts Chip and PIN (or other compatible EMV cards), and will not accept magnetic stripe cards such as those used in the United States.
Service
editThe robust bicycles are produced by the French bicycle company Mercier in Hungary and are repaired by JCDecaux. They are three-speed bicycles, fitted with Shimano Nexus gears which can be changed up and down using a twist/grip shifter on the right handlebar. A Shimano hub dynamo in the front wheel generates power for front and rear always-on LED lighting. The bikes are fitted with Schwalbe Marathon tyres. Other components include a locking system, an adjustable cushioned saddle, a front bicycle basket, a kick stand and a bell.
Each station is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and stands for 20 to 40 bicycles. Initially, fourteen terminals had credit card facilities enabling the user to purchase a 3-Day Ticket.
If a user arrives with a rented bicycle at a station without open spots, the terminal grants another fifteen minutes of free rental time. The rental terminals also display information about neighbouring Dublinbikes stations, including location, number of available bicycles and open stands. A fleet of bicycle-transporting vehicles are used to redistribute bicycles between empty and full stations.
Future
editIn November 2010, a major five-year expansion plan was adopted due to the huge success of the scheme thus far. The plan will see the number of bikes increase from 450 to 5,000 and the number of bike stations increase from 40 to 300. The scheme will be extended as far north as DCU, as far south as UCD, as far east as Sandymount and as far west as Inchicore. The expansion will be funded differently than the original scheme, most likely through a mix of public and private funding.[34]
In July 2012 it was announced that the first part of the scheme would begin before the end of the year.[35]
Stations
editWhen launched in 2009 there was a total of 40 bike stations and 450 bikes.[36] There was a small expansion completed in 2011, adding 4 new stations and an extra 100 bikes.[37] In April 2013 expansion plans were announced to expand the network to 102 stations and increasing the number of bikes from 550 to 1500.[38] In March 2018, it was confirmed that the service would expand from 101 stations to 116 and from 1,500 bikes to 1,600.[39]
Alternatives
editIn May 2018, Dublin City Council granted licenses to two operators, Urbo and BleeperBike, to run a new, stationless bike-sharing scheme, with "full interoperability between the two schemes".[43] In 2019, the second licence has been re-advertised after Urbo never launched their bikes in Dublin.[44] The Irish company Moby won the second license and is expected to launch a fleet of electrically assisted bikes by 2020.[45]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Just Eat dublinbikes station list". Dublinbikes. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018.
- ^ "DublinBikes". www.dublinbikes.ie. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b c Rosita Boland (13 June 2009). "Dublin's long-awaited wheel deal on track for September roll-out". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "2,000 join Dublin bicycle scheme". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 13 September 2009. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ a b Olivia Kelly (11 May 2013). "Deal agreed to increase Dublin bicycles service". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Gormley hails Dublin bike scheme". The Irish Times. 13 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ Maria Daly (4 August 2011). "What's the secret of the Dublin bike hire scheme's success?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "As the dublinbikes Scheme Stalls, Is It Time for a New Funding Plan? | Dublin Inquirer". Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Dublin Bikes' Funding Has Hit A Wall | LovinDublin". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ Colin Coyle and Ruadhan MacEoin (24 August 2008). "Dubliners taken for a ride". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Advert sites to fund bike scheme approved". The Irish Times. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Takeaway firm Just Eat pays €2.25m to sponsor Dublin Bikes". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ Slattery, Laura. "Now TV to sponsor Dublinbikes from 2021". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ Dick O'Brien (4 October 2009). "Bike rental scheme overwhelmed by applications". The Sunday Business Post. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ Eilish O'Regan (8 March 2010). "Set the wheels in motion to extend your life cycle". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ a b "More than 37,000 use bike scheme". The Irish Times. 9 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "Dublin city to get more bikes for ads". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
- ^ "One millionth trip on Dublin Bike Scheme". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 14 August 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- ^ "DublinBikes clocks up two million journeys". breakingnews.ie. 13 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ "Dublin City Council: Dublinbikes gearing up to expand capacity". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ^ "Dublin City Council: Dublinbikes reaches 2 million mark ahead of schedule". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ "Dublin Bikes nears 5m rentals in 3.5 years -- IrishCycle.com". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ "Major expansion of the Dublin bike scheme begins today". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "DublinBikes nears 8m rentals as it turns 5 -- IrishCycle.com". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Just Eat announced as new dublinbikes partner | Dublin City Council". Archived from the original on 22 November 2017. Archived 7 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Dublinbikes annual charge to increase by 40 per cent". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Dublin bike scheme set for tenfold expansion" Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Irish Times (12 November 2010)
- ^ Olivia Kelly (30 July 2012). "Dublin bike hire scheme set to treble in size". News. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "First new dublinbikes stations open in capital Today". Dublin City Council. November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
- ^ Ginty, Cian (25 April 2010). "100 new Dublin Bikes, more room at stations, 4 more stations". Irishcycle.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ "New Stations". dublinbikes. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ a b "dublinbikes Update: Tuesday 22nd April". dublinbikes. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ a b "DublinBikes". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ a b "dublinbikes station news". dublinbikes. 9 March 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ Duffy, Rónán (30 May 2018). "Stationless bike hire scheme launched in Dublin with 200 bikes hitting the streets right away". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ Kean, Jonathan (29 March 2019). "After Urbo never launched any bikes, Dublin City Council will re-advertise its licence". Fora. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ McGee, Harry (13 January 2020). "Up to 1,000 electric bikes to be available for hire in Dublin". Irishtimes.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
External links
edit