Cyclists clock up 5 million kilometres on public bikes
Statistics released yesterday revealed that 2,344,193 journeys were taken from January to the end of June in the five cities, an average of 13,000 rentals a day.
The Dublin bike scheme saw 2,083,821 journeys taken between January and June, and 15,495,774 journeys since the scheme launched in 2009.
Cork’s scheme saw bikes taken for 140,660 journeys, amassing 225,130km this year, and 430,726 rentals since the scheme began. There are 8,270 subscribers to the scheme in Cork.
There have been 57,760 rentals in Limerick since the scheme’s launch, 16,478 of which were taken this year, while Galway and Belfast have had 6,876 and 96,358 journeys this year.
The Dublin scheme has 61,976 subscribers who can avail of 1,500 bikes from 101 stations around the city.
Brendan Kenny, chief executive of Dublin City Council, said that cycling is commanding a higher share of transport modes than ever before in the capital.
“The 15.5m journeys taken since the scheme launched in Dublin in 2009, shows the huge success of the scheme itself and its promotion as a healthier, affordable and environmentally sustainable transport option,” Mr Kenny said.
“With cycle-friendly initiatives like the Port Tunnel, HGV strategy and various infrastructural cycleway improvements, cycling is commanding a higher mode share than ever before.
“Working with the National Transport Authority, we will keep cycling a priority, with the objective of making Dublin an international exemplar in terms of mode share and cycle safety,” he said,
Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority, said that there was clearly an appetite among the public for the schemes and that the authority is “ambitious for the future of the schemes in Cork, Galway and Limerick, with new users signing up all the time”.
