The figure being quoted seems ridiculous, compared with figures I've come across elsewhere, and the scale of starting up seems daft when compared to the incremental delivery that seems to be working well in Inverness, which started with just 30 bikes
There are already bikes (all EAPC) operating in E/Mid Lothian, and even 'leaking' into the SE 'wedge'
The Glasgow scheme is making some valuable reductions in 'transport poverty' by getting bikes available to those who need 'wheels' to get to work, or other activities
Serco had some difficulty in marrying their corporate structure with a local cycle promotion operation, whilst Glasgow & Stirling have local hubs where staff are trained and can go on to further employment. Glasgow has sensibly matched the same model as Edinburgh Fringe, keeping the charity separate from the trading operation (Motion Forward) that manages the contract with Nextbike
Training technicians is much the same way that the first major scheme in Europe (Copenhagen 1995) was set up and ran for 19 years in its original free to use form. Trainees went on to work in cycle shops or as maintenance staff and breaking the Catch 22 of needing a job to get a reference ... to get a job
I've been doing this public bike hire gig since 1996, when the Portsmouth and Rotterdam schemes were set up as part of the EU VIVALDI mobility project - using RFID cards (ie bus passes, bank cards, staff i/d cards) to hire bikes.
In 2009 the Brompton Hire started with a very simple arrangement at Waterloo (100 bikes on near continuous hire), and I worked to get the automated lockers launched in 2011 (now with 3 locations funded by Hitrans at Elgin, Inverness and Oban, cleverly NOT located on Network Rail land, but sites close to the stations, which were easier and faster to get delivered)
Typically a basic (not EAPC) bike costs around £1000-£1500 to put on the street with Nextbike, Bewegen and Beryl having the flexibility and savings through having a hybrid system. This means fixed docking points, plus geo-fenced locations to 'park' bikes off-hire, a detail quickly taken on board by Call-a-Bike, which began operating in 2001, and part of the Bewegen (Canadian) offer for their EAPC - no regular bikes - (Inverness, Fort William, Forth Valley, and E/M Lothian)
Dundee has Ride-on (Spanish)- all fixed docks, with Nextbike (German) in Glasgow & Stirling
For some schemes I can use an RFID card, and have enabled my bus pass as the way to hire bikes, hire cars, and use buses
Any Edinburgh scheme could start in a small way, as a reprise of the Go-Ebike project that #sestran trialled, and which was I believe very popular with Scottish Government staff nipping between Victoria Quay and St Andrews House
As an example the Bewegen scheme around Mussleburgh could 'leak' though Sheriffhall P&R (& Shawfair Station)/Newcraighall P&R/Station to ride in to the ERI/BioQuarter, or a large employer/journey generator might have a 'local' inter-site operation that can be integrated with a larger scheme as these develop.
An Edinburgh scheme might also offer the bikes to bus pass users, to boost use, and generate base revenue - bike trips would be cheaper than the % paid for bus fares, and the promotion of healthy activity for over 60's could have a value?
Remember too that the branding on a bike can be sold - an advertiser gets about 40 bikes all over the town, for the same price as a single poster on a bus shelter.....
Don't discount the Brompton Hire detail either. Setting up a 8 locker (can grow to 16 with additional unit) base requires a footprint of 1.6 sq and units can be relocated relatively easily - if the solar panel power and 4g signal are sound then the units are 'wireless' (intended that way). Because bikes are usually hired for several 24 hour periods, my early estimate was that one 'locker' could support around 4 bikes out on hire, provided that the local agent and users work together to manage the locations. The unit at Kings Cross (neatly NOT on Network Rail's site) was supporting around 20 bikes from 8 lockers last I had a report
So that's my plan, which experience (around 27 years) indicates as a possible solution, might deliver for Edinburgh
Noting from CoMoUK surveys - approaching 30 years of data for car sharing, and slightly less for bikes, we should also be connecting with bus and rail operators, as bikes fill in those gaps where bus operation is less viable ... and rail stations are never right at your door... unless you are the Duke of Sutherland with your own station & train!
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