Article: Inner-city bike-hire scheme off to a slow start

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Inner-city bike-hire scheme off to a slow start

Inner-city bike-hire scheme off to a slow start

    * Antonia Magee
    * From: Herald Sun
    * June 23, 2010 11:25AM

State Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike rides a new bicycle in City Square after the launch of the inner-city bike-hire scheme in March. Picture: Bruce Magilton Source: Herald Sun

THE State Government has conceded its inner-city share bike scheme has got off to an unimpressive start.

More than 10 pay-per-use share bike stations are up and running around the Melbourne CBD and Mr Pallas today admitted the pick-up rate was slow.

"I think I would be the first to acknowledge, however, that take-up up has not been enormous initially, for good reason," he said.

"They don't have a full offering yet of 50 stations around the CBD, and, importantly, once people have options to be able to park their bikes, borrow their bikes, hire their bikes, and return them within 300 to 500 metres of a hiring location, they'll be a much more attractive proposition."

Launched late last month, the CBD share bike scheme was initially criticised because it meant riders would have to carry their own helmets around town to hire a bike and comply with the road laws.

Riders who buy memberships to the scheme are given a helmet but casual users must provide their own, but, to comply with the state's strict helmet laws, everyone else needs to bring their own.

But it appears punters have been slow on the uptake, but Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said it was just teething problems.

Today, Mr Pallas said the government had set up a number of initiatives to make accessing a helmet easier and more affordable.

"There are a number of initiatives that are being put in place," Mr Pallas said.

"Firstly...upon taking up a membership you will be offered a free helmet as part of that membership deal.

"Secondly, if you are a tourist at one of the major hotels, arrangements will be put in place for the provision of helmets."

He also said large retail chains would soon be offering cheap helmets to spruik the scheme.

The full 50 stations are expected to be operational within matter of weeks.

[ButFli]

The requirement of helmets will surely ruin these bike schemes.