Canberra is about to get its first bike scheme, and it'll be dockless
Canberra is set to get its first bike share scheme, and it will begin operation within weeks.
Acting ACT transport minister Mick Gentlemen has announced a trial of a dockless bike scheme in Canberra's centre.
The trial for the Australian-owned dockless Airbikes will begin July 30 and be held in the city centre, the Australian National University and the Parliamentary Zone.
It is not clear how or if the bikes will somehow be contained within these areas, but authorities are hopeful users will "respect the cultural and symbolic significance" of the areas.
The announcement follows the recent withdrawal of another dockless bike company, oBike, in Melbourne after the local environments authority cracked down on the company.
About 100 of the company's yellow bikes were fished from the Yarra River in the 12 months they operated in Melbourne, and the company was set to face fines of up to $3000 if their abandoned bikes blocked streets for more than three hours.
Mr Gentlemen said the Canberra Airbike trial was to help encourage more Canberrans and visitors to take a more healthy, eco-friendly mode of transportation.
"The team will immediately respond and move any bikes, reassuring Canberrans that the ACT government, the [National Capital Authority] and the ANU have a well-regulated approach to ensure bikes are parked appropriately in the city and the parliamentary zone," Mr Gentlemen said.
The government hoped the bikes would ease traffic congestion, parking issues and allow people to move more freely around Canberra.
National Capital Authority chief executive Sally Barnes also addressed concerns about the dockless bikes.
"We are optimistic that users will respect the cultural and symbolic significance of these areas by parking responsibly using existing, designated parking and we welcome the trial," Ms Barnes said.
According to a 2017 National Cycling Participation Survey, 26 per cent of Canberrans rode a bike at least once each week.
Census data indicates 3 per cent of Canberrans ride to work each day and 3 per cent of the capital's students ride to university daily.
Airbike is an Australian-owned company started by University of Sydney students late last year.
Users register their payment details with Airbike using an app on their smart phone, allowing them to find the nearest bike and unlock and lock it using the app.
Pedal Power chief executive officer Ian Ross said that at $1.30 for half an hour, the scheme offered a cost-effective option for short to medium trips.
"We understand that the bikes will be geotagged so that data can be collected on how and where they are being used, and that this will be used to evaluate how bikeshare can be rolled out more broadly," he said.
“We are interested to see how a dockless scheme works in Canberra and hope the outcomes of the trail will be used to identify a model that best suits our city in the longer term.
"We understand that the ACT government has put some thought into the model and to the checks and balances that might be needed to ensure the provider is responsible for making sure the bikes are returned to parking areas."