CLAY LUCAS
March 13, 2009
ALMOST one in five bicycles would be stolen or vandalised under a $5 million State Government public bike scheme for the city centre, documents obtained under freedom-of-information laws say.
Automated public bicycle schemes have become popular in several European cities. The biggest is in Paris, where, since 2007, there have been 16,000 bicycles available free for the first half-hour of use.
But more than half of the bikes in the Parisian scheme were either stolen or badly damaged in the first year.
The Victorian Government has pledged to deliver a similar scheme in Melbourne.
But a cabinet submission by the Transport Department reveals concerns about theft and vandalism.
The department expects 15 per cent of the bikes would be lost each year. It is also concerned about how the bicycle-hire scheme would be financed. Those in Europe are mostly financed by outdoor advertising companies such as JCDecaux. The company recently signed a contract with Dublin City Council to supply 450 bicycles for free use by the public. In return, JCDecaux gets 72 advertising boards, worth $A2 million a year.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said he supported the public bike scheme, but not "obtrusive advertising cluttering up" streets.
The Transport Department would not say how it would fund the scheme.
The FoI documents show the bikes will be introduced by early next year. Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky wants the scheme pushed through as soon as possible, the documents show.
A handwritten note by Ms Kosky on one briefing paper says: "In light of recent attention/criticism of preventing bikes on trains in peak hour, it is important we move quickly on this. Ta, L."
Six hundred bicycles would be installed at 52 stations around Melbourne. Bikes would be free for 30 minutes, then $1 for the first hour.
Vehicle speed limits would need to be reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h, a report for the Government by engineers SKM recommends. "Reducing the speed limit will lead to very significant reductions in casualty accidents between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians," it says.
In 2006, the council asked VicRoads to reduce road speeds to a blanket 40 km/h. VicRoads refused.
Victorian Roads Minister Tim Pallas, who stopped a 2007 council proposal for safer bike lanes on St Kilda Road, said yesterday he would not reduce speed limits in the city centre.
A Transport Department spokeswoman said a tender for the bike hire scheme would be released shortly.
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