City Cycle scheme - how to fix it without consultants fees .. Discussion

[ozbob]

Media release 8 June 2011

SEQ: City Cycle scheme - how to fix it without consultants fees ..

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers strongly supports the City Cycle scheme in principle (1, 2).  It can be fixed up so that is immediately popular and returns economic benefit to our community.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"There are two fundamental issues that are causing poor usage rates of CityCycle."

"The first is helmet availability.  Increase the the number of outlets and provide helmet vending systems at locations not serviced by a direct helmet outlet."

"The second action is to integrate CityCycle with the go card. Registered go card users are an instant user base for CityCycle and it would be sensible to integrate CityCycle into the overall public and active transport network by making it go card friendly. The expense of making CityCycle go card friendly we believe should be shared equally between TransLink and the Brisbane City Council."

"Do that and the scheme is a success!"

References:

1. 27 Feb 2011: SEQ: Integration the key to unlock CityCycle potential http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5493.msg48825#msg48825

2. 9 Oct 2010: SEQ: CityCycle scheme welcomed! http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4605.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Feedback received, thanks!

Good post Robert.

Another idea would be to exempt CityCycle riders from mandatory helmet requirements (just like pedicab passengers currently are) - even if for a trial period. If it doesn't work, then they could just go back to how it was.

Interesting summary here on the issue: http://helmetfreedom.org/668/we-werent-born-yesterday/

[Gazza]

There could also be a line in the release about it having instant hiring with a credit card to make it better for tourists. This is done elsewhere.

(Waiting for a post saying why there "are issues" with using credit cards in Brisbane though   )

[#Metro]

(Waiting for a post saying why there "are issues" with using credit cards in Brisbane though   )

Because Brisbane starts with 'B', aww S H A M E!!!

[SurfRail]

(Waiting for a post saying why there "are issues" with using credit cards in Brisbane though   )

Because Brisbane starts with 'B', aww S H A M E!!!

That doesn't explain why we can't use Bpay to top up a go card. 

[#Metro]

That doesn't explain why we can't use Bpay to top up a go card.

Because Perth uses it (and Canberra now bought it too), and we can't do that here.
Perth- starts with 'P' and also not part of Australia. Australians also don't like transferring to use BPay and hate convenience.  

Why would we need this in Brisbane.

[/sarcasm]

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Labor promises CityCycle probe

Labor promises CityCycle probe
Tony Moore
June 8, 2011 - 3:02PM

An audit of the struggling CityCycle scheme would be included in Ray Smith's first Brisbane City Council should he win the lord mayoralty next year, the Labor candidate said today.

In his response to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk's first and only budget before the March 2012 local government election, Mr Smith said CityCycle was an example of waste in the 2011/12 budget.

The council will earn $450,000 but spend $2.4 million in the coming financial year to run the scheme.

However, Mr Smith would not commit to breaking the council's contract with JCDecaux to run the bike hire scheme.

"What we are talking about is finding a way to do this better and cheaper," he said.

"If we have to stop the roll-out, then we will. I will commission an independent audit of this scheme and we will look forward to that."

The remaining 60 of the 150 CityCycle stations will be installed over the next six months in areas in and around South Bank, the University of Queensland and the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.

Mr Smith also dismissed the 1.79 per cent rate rise announced by the Lord Mayor this morning.

"The truth of the matter is that the residents of Brisbane are paying $340 more, on average, on their rates bill than they were three years ago," he said.

Mr Smith said the administration should have reduced the rates cap, which is now set at 7.5 per cent.

"While we are seeing some residents in flooded areas pay less in rates, what we are also seeing is some residents in areas like Mitchelton pay up to 7.5 per cent more on their rates," he said.

Mr Smith criticised council debt levels, saying it would increase to $2 billion by 2015.

"That is going to cost $4 million a week to service and that $4 million would be better off being spent in our libraries and our parks," he said.

Mr Smith said Cr Quirk should have deferred the $1.5 billion Legacy Way toll tunnel.

"Then we would not have needed to have cut all the services from the people of Brisbane, $380 million in cutbacks," he said.

"That's why I called on the Lord Mayor after the flood to defer Legacy Way."

Mr Smith said it would have been "prudent" to pay the $220 million fee to break the Legacy Way toll tunnel contract.

Labor estimates the $37 million set aside for staff redundancies in this year's budget will see the council's staff reduced by several hundred.

This was requested by Queensland Treasury Corporation last year, after warning about escalating wage costs.

Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton, who supported former lord mayor Campbell Newman's plan to trim Council's 9000 staff, today said Cr Quirk should say how many jobs would go.

"What Graham Quirk and Adrian Schrinner refuse to do is provide us with the number of people who will lose their jobs as a consequence of their financial mismanagement."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/labor-promises-citycycle-probe-20110608-1fsd9.html#ixzz1OerauONq

Probe?  It is clear what the issues are ...   :bi

[#Metro]

"If we have to stop the roll-out, then we will. I will commission an independent audit of this scheme and we will look forward to that."

How about a train frequency probe?
Hi Frequency PROBE NOW!!!