New bike sharing scheme on the way for Fingal area

FINGAL County Council is planning on rolling out a bike sharing scheme in Dublin 15 on a pilot basis.

Several bike sharing operators have approached the council and council management are keen on the idea.

The pilot scheme will use a ‘dockless’ system, which differs from the Dublinbike scheme run by Dublin City Council.

There will be no docking stations in the Fingal scheme and bikes can instead be left and picked up in an identified geo-fenced area or a type of ‘virtual station’.

The bikes will have a lock that prevents them being used and they won’t need to be locked to a fixed structure when the cyclist is finished their journey.

Cyclists will need to download an app to take part in the scheme. The app will unlock the bike and charge a fee for the journey.

The bikes will be equipped with GPS technology, meaning cyclists will have real-time information to access bikes that are located close to them.

Green Party Dublin West candidate, Cllr Roderic O’Gorman, has welcomed news of the pilot scheme in Dublin 15, which came during a Fingal Transportation Strategic Policy Committee meeting on which he sits. 

“I’m delighted that Fingal are going ahead with this proposal,” he said.

“This has the potential to be hugely useful to Dublin 15 residents seeking to move quickly and easily between locations in the area.

“While the Dublin Bikes scheme in Dublin City requires users to pick up and drop off bikes at a specific docking station, the plan for Dublin 15 is to use a system where bikes are picked up and dropped off within specific areas.

“The bikes will be self-locking, which means they cannot be taken by anyone who is not a member of the sharing system. 

“This system will not require the expensive infrastructure of a docking station, and is therefore far more flexible.

“Fingal plan to pick a number of locations in Dublin 15 to use as pick-up/drop-off points. 

“I look forward to working with the council to identifying suitable locations, with a strong focus on public transport hubs like train stations, the Blanchardstown Town Centre and our villages.

“This will add an attractive new transport option for many local residents.” 

Fingal County Council is now planning on drawing up new byelaws that will regulate the new scheme. The pilot period will allow officials to identify solutions to any challenges that come up and to measure the benefits of the scheme.