Free bikes in Paris

Ghost Rider

Here's an article about a new free-bike scheme in Paris:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2139594,00.html

blorg

We are apparently getting the same thing in Dublin, although some reckon we are getting a raw deal:

http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/2007/07/dublin-shortchanged-on-free-bikes.html

Ghost Rider

I was suspicious of the advertising connection when I first heard of the scheme planned for Dublin but, according to the Guardian article anyway, that's the way the scheme works elsewhere and the way it got started in the first place.

Of course, that's not to say it wouldn't work without private funding, but these days we, as a nation, don't generally seem to demand that sort of vision (and investment) from those in public office...

blorg wrote:

We are apparently getting the same thing in Dublin, although some reckon we are getting a raw deal:

http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/2007/07/dublin-shortchanged-on-free-bikes.html

penexpers

Ghost Rider wrote:

I was suspicious of the advertising connection when I first heard of the scheme planned for Dublin but, according to the Guardian article anyway, that's the way the scheme works elsewhere and the way it got started in the first place.

It's not quite how it works in other cities. In other cities, they were mostly given existing advertising space (in Lyon, for example, they were restricted to bus shelters and tram stops). The advertisment boards that are going to be erected are going to be huge and ugly and take away from the city. Dublin absolutely got short changed.

Ghost Rider

Whether the ad space existed already or not, trading it for a public service is what's questionable (to me) in the first place.

penexpers wrote:

It's not quite how it works in other cities. In other cities, they were mostly given existing advertising space (in Lyon, for example, they were restricted to bus shelters and tram stops). The advertisment boards that are going to be erected are going to be huge and ugly and take away from the city. Dublin absolutely got short changed.

oobydooby

Frank McNally wrote a wonderful article in his Irishman's Diary column in the Irish Times two weeks ago. I'm afraid I don't know how to link it here (or if it can be linked). An interesting point about it was that it was free to rent the bike for 30 minutes and that the bike depots were an average of 300m apart so you could continuously change bikes and in effect travel your entire journey for free.

I hope we do it properly - it's a fantastic idea and Dublin is (could be) perfect for it.

Jesus Wept

I don't like the idea of sharing a bike with 30 people every day.

blorg

I think the idea behind these bikes is for short hops across the city, you drop it off at your destination and pick up a new one when you want to continue.

The-Rigger- whyever not?

Morgan

The-Rigger wrote:

I don't like the idea of sharing a bike with 30 people every day.

Urgh, germs! :eek: