Bike & Go future

[Geeves]

We still have the control pad but the bikes, locks and shelter all went bye bye when they started building the bay platform (at Rochdale). Someone has interited some lovely red bikes

 

[JamesRowden]

I think that schemes can be useful, and can get people using them if they are of the right type. London & Liverpool are currently the only two places doing it about right though (the latter I gather soon to expand their scheme to cover a wider area).

I agree that widespread cycling isn't a thing in the UK at the moment but with the right interventions I don't see why it couldn't become so. Road safety and ability to cycle from A to B in a straightforward fashion is I think one of the key things.

The bike hire scheme in Reading also seems successful since I regularly see people using it.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

We still have the control pad but the bikes, locks and shelter all went bye bye when they started building the bay platform (at Rochdale). Someone has interited some lovely red bikes

Probably explains why on the Bike N Go website that none are available, the same can be said for Port Sunlight.

 

[MancMetro]

I emailed them to ask why couldn't they have a non-subscription based model, this is their reply:

"Our system is indeed a bit different than the Boris Bike system: for example we don't have docking stations, you can collect your key and bike from the train station. This results in a lot of freedom: there is a fixed fee for 24 hours, and you don't have to search for docking stations every 20 minutes to prevent your fee mounting up. So the setup of the schemes are different, and this also results in different type of subscription and payment.

From our customer research we noticed that the price is not a big barrier for people to use our scheme. The £10 for an annual membership that allows you to hire bikes at 70 locations is actually perceived as quite low. But we are constantly evaluating our product so in the future we might want to change something to our pricing system."

 

[notlob.divad]

I think that schemes can be useful, and can get people using them if they are of the right type. London & Liverpool are currently the only two places doing it about right though (the latter I gather soon to expand their scheme to cover a wider area).

I agree that widespread cycling isn't a thing in the UK at the moment but with the right interventions I don't see why it couldn't become so. Road safety and ability to cycle from A to B in a straightforward fashion is I think one of the key things.

I just want to point out that Liverpool has two separate cycle systems that are not interlinked. There is the bike and go for the stations and the citybikes which works like the London Santander sponsored scheme. There is also a Sefton and West Lancashire scheme which is totally separate. I am not sure I would class 3 overlapping but incompatible schemes as 'doing it right'.

I used a couple of citybikes the other month and apart from some hassle trying to get a bike out at the start I found it good.

As for the bike and go, there are 3 or 4 at my local station. Last time I looked they where locked away upstairs in a cafe. I have never seen anyone use them and I would guess 95-99% of the people who use the station have no idea they are there.

 

[Camden]

Yes I know, I work there. In terms of "doing it right" that wasn't a comment on the civic politics but just the City Bike scheme which is the right way to go about it. It is the City Bike scheme that I gather will be expanded, no doubt replacing the Southport scheme which is run by the same company.