In case you missed it - the press haven't picked up on it yet - the Council are to pilot a Bike Leasing scheme later this year. It'll start with 200 new and recycled bikes and offer a 1 month lease for around £15. The lease will include bike maintenance, safety gear, lock, etc and training. The pilot will be part of a cycling promotion package targeting potential new cyclists. The reason for going with a leasing model is that it should be a lot more cost effective than bikeshare schemes like London (c£4k / bike pa) or on the continent (c£2k /bike pa). For more info:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/831/leasing_scheme_to_help_get_new_cyclists_on_their_bikes
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Bike Leasing
(23 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Interesting!
Though presumably when you say "bikeshare" you're talking about 'Boris Bikes' which are multi-user.
The scheme in Newcastle is probably cheaper.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"the press haven't picked up on it yet"
They have now:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/bike-rentals-rolled-out-to-accelerate-pedal-power-1-2167911
"If the Edinburgh project gets the go-ahead from councillors next week, a sponsor will be sought to get it up and running, and it could be managed in partnership with organisations such as The Bike Station."
So you expect it to get the go ahead?
Posted 12 years ago # -
And so begin the comments...
Since when has it been the place of CEC to buy bikes ? They squander money on CllR Mackenzies personal agenda, and neglect so much else.
And I suppose that Mr Maxwells organisation will get the contract to maintain these cycles ? Was this ever put out to tender ?
Will they be providing training, such as how to behave at a red light or near a pavement??? No... didn't think so!
etc etc etc
Posted 12 years ago # -
At a time when schools & nurseries are being closed, somehow Cllr Mackenzie finds the funds for his own pwersonal pet project and for his friends & colleagues in SPOKES and the Bike Station. This is scandalous, and smells fishy and more than a bit corrupt.,using your position as Transport Convener to funds schemes for organisations that you are personally a member of, dodgy ethical ground.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Anth save your IQ points and ignore those morons!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Must....
Not....
Look.....Got to wonder though, don't you think it's suspicious all these car owning councillors voting for endless investment in the roads at the expense of the children/orphans/puppies etc etc
(note; for any EEN ranters reading this, it is a technique called "sarcasm")Posted 12 years ago # -
"Was this ever put out to tender ?"
Well apart from the fact that it hasn't been agreed...
It will be interesting to know how much this will actually be costing the council ('us').
I suppose there might be more detail in the committee reports.
It's not clear whether there is an expectation that there will be 'free' training for £15 - i.e. if everyone only hires a bike for a month or whether there is a longer minimum hire period.
The actual economics of such a scheme also depend on how much has to be spent on promoting/running it and how many accident prone/high mileage customers they get.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It's not the car owning councillors that bother me - it's the car using ones...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I know steveo, but it's a compulsion...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"I know steveo, but it's a compulsion..."
You should be on your lunchtime wildlife watch.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Or at least finding some nice Art Deco buildings for your bapp.
Posted 12 years ago # -
There's a beautiful simplicity to some of this. Or maybe I mean some of the people are simple. For example, someone posted...
"Spend the money on safer cycling routes through the city. It's not the costs that deter people from cycling, it's the danger from motorised vehicles."
Which seems a fairly innocuous thing to say. But not, it appears danger to cyclists is not posed by motorised vehicles, it's OTHER CYCLISTS!
"what a load of cr4p. More like the number of cyclists who have no road sense. introduce mandatory basic training, you'll find it far safer if everyone stuck to the same rules."
Posted 12 years ago # -
"and the climate, and the topography. You can't get fit by cycling if the landscape's too difficult for a beginner to cycle on, and who wants to cycle in the rain, or a howling gale? Anyway, surely you can already hire bikes from a commercial company and save council taxpayers' money?"
Posted 12 years ago # -
@EdinReporter
"#edincouncil now talking about bike leasing scheme and promotion of cycling"
Posted 12 years ago # -
@EdinReporter
" #edincouncil there is a Green amendment which we have not seen. Gordon Mackenzie rejects this. Proposal is to have pilot hire scheme."
Posted 12 years ago # -
@EdinReporter
"#edincouncil Burgess says that an east west cycle route along Princes St would encourage cycling"
Sense at last...
Posted 12 years ago # -
@EdinReporter
"#edincouncil Burgess says we spend £3 or £4 a head in Edinburgh in cycling and spend should be double that to be effective."
I'll stop retweeting... I'm sure you know who to follow now...
Posted 12 years ago # -
one more...
@EdinReporter
"@POPScotland motion carried so pilot scheme will be rolled out..... #edincouncil"
Yes to Pilot Cycle leasing scheme.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Noticed this article about it on the STV website. More or less repeats what was said in the first except with added Green baiting.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I hope the city/council get better value from the money than was spent on that stupid and un-necessary "cycle path" map of Edinburgh.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@druidh +1 but also not totally convinced by bike leasing scheme - what do the current commercial bike rentals make of this?
Posted 12 years ago # -
It will be going out to tender later this year.
Posted 12 years ago #
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