There is no better way to get around a city than by bicycle. It is cheap, clean for the environment, you get inspired by everything around you, and your daily exercise. Not to mention it reduces congestion in built up areas. A lot of wins. But what do you do if you are visiting a city and don't have a bicycle, or you often visit a city for work, but don't want to lug your bicycle around with you?
Arguably the most bicycle-friendly city in Australia, Melbourne has embraced a solution to these dilemmas. Meet: Melbourne Bike Share. Similar bike share programs are found in 135 cities around the world with an estimated 86,000 bicycles on four continents, with a further 45 programs planned in 22 nations over 2009 / 2010. The Melbourne Bicycle share allows you to hire a bicycle for $AUD50 a year, $AUD8 a week, or $AUD2.50 a day which is quite economical. The Melbourne Bike Share (MBS) program works by first purchasing a pass by credit card at the bicycle station or subscribing to the service online. If you are an annual member, you use your MBS key you received in the mail, and unlock a bike of your choice at the bike dock. To return the bike, you can lock it at any other MBS bike dock. That is, you don't have to return the bike to the same bike station. So if you had to get from Flinders station to the Uni, you could pick up your bike, peddle over to the Uni and drop the bike off there in time for your class to begin! No more hassle or worry associated with where to lock your bike up!
But it's not only individuals who can benefit from the MBS program. Companies wanting to reduce their carbon footprint have also been targeted by the MBS program. Corporate subscriptions are available so that employees may bike share to company meetings. These subscriptions allow subscriptions to be transferred from employee to employee, and have the added incentive that the first hour of every trip is free (corporate subscriptions are based on an hourly usage rate). Imagine a taxi where the first hour is free? For city meetings, this provides a very economical option for corporations, let alone the reduction in their carbon footprint.
Reducing carbon footprints is taken seriously by the Victorian Government, who have funded the MBS through their $AUD38 billion State Transport Plan. Designed to integrate with existing public transport infrastructure, but with lower than the average public transport ticket prices with a structure that heavily encourages short trips (less than one hour), you can be sure to see more blue bicycles flying around in Melbourne!
Current MBS location points:
Way to go Melburn! Sydney, are we next pretty please?
For more information check out Melbourne Bike Share!
