I like the Brisbane City Council idea of placing hire bikes around the city to be used as an alternative to trains, buses, taxis and personal automobiles, but has Campbell Newman for once got his timing wrong?
This photo, taken at the lower end of Edward Street suggests he has. With the Pacific Ocean gripped by a La Nina, Brisbane is forecast to have a wetter than average summer. You can get wet enough here in summer riding a bike when it isn’t raining, so when it does rain, riding is out of the question. Don’t those bike look shiny and new?
All dressed-up, and only La Nina wants to dance
Maybe you just happened to stumble upon a rack that is full as everyone has just ridden there. Glass half empty…
Comment by joe — November 4, 2010 @ 5:24 am
Don’t think so Joe. It was raining quite hard. Although you raise another question. How reliable as a form of transport will the bikes be? Will bikes tend to gravitate to particular racks in the city? Will you always be able to leave your bike at the rack that you choose? Will you always be able to find one when you need one?
As I imagine that many of the bike trips will also be in competition with Shanks’s Pony, it might actually lead to an increase in walking rather than riding.
Comment by Graham Young — November 4, 2010 @ 7:13 pm
The one thing that seems really obvious to me about these bikes – and unless I have incorrect information – the hire doesn’t include helmet hire. So, in theory, you would have to bring your helmet from home if you were planning on hiring one of these bikes. I think this is a big oversight on Newmans behalf.
Comment by Jane — November 7, 2010 @ 10:58 pm
Not sure that it is an oversight, but did you know that the two countries who insist on wearing safety helmets when riding bikes are also the two first world countries with the lowest penetration of bikes? And these two countries are Australia and New Zealand.
Perhaps there is a case for not making helmets compulsory. Particularly as they are only effective in crashes at speeds up to 20 kph. To put that in perspective I can run faster than that, and top marathon runners run 42 kms at an average speed that is roughly the same. Why don’t joggers have to wear helmets? Food for thought.
Comment by Graham Young — November 8, 2010 @ 12:11 am
And this on helmets as well http://sify.com/news/helmets-don-t-contribute-to-road-safety-research-news-international-klip4dffebb.html
Comment by Graham Young — November 9, 2010 @ 2:02 am
Regardless, if the current legislation says you have to wear a helmet and they’re not provided with the bike hire – it will be a deterrent to these bikes being a success.
Comment by Jane — November 9, 2010 @ 2:28 am