Paul McAuliffe
Question:9. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase the shared station-less e-bike schemes in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55884/22]
View answerThursday, 10 November 2022
Questions (9)
Oral answers (7 contributions)
In the complexity of reaching our climate action targets, one of the easiest ways we can take action is by cycling. One of the best ways of introducing people to that and giving them flexibility is bike sharing. What are the Minister's plans for station-less bike sharing schemes in Dublin and other cities?
I will again refer to the OECD report I just mentioned, which sets out a requirement for large behavioural change in the direction of sustainable modes, travel reductions and shared mobility. Along with road space reallocation and communication efforts to address car-centric mindsets, it identifies the mainstreaming of on-demand shared services as one of the policy areas with a high transformative potential to reduce car dependency.
My Department's national sustainable mobility policy, SMP, was published in April. It sets out a strategic framework for promoting active travel and public transport in line with targets under the climate action plan. Action 87 of the SMP seeks to "expand shared car, bike and powered personal transporters (PPT) services at transport hubs and interchanges" and has an output to develop a strategy for the roll-out of expanded shared services next year. The NTA, which is leading on this action, has confirmed that it is undertaking a study into the provision of shared station-less e-bike schemes in the greater Dublin area and how it is expected to evolve over the coming years. This study will examine issues such as licensing and management to ensure an equitable distribution of shared e-bikes across the greater Dublin area. The report is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.
The SMP recognises the need to promote the adoption of shared mobility schemes and the integration of newer modes, such as electric scooters, with other modes and our public transport system. While Ireland already has examples of shared car and bike schemes, mainly in the five cities, policy and market development in the area of shared mobility continue to evolve, particularly the expansion of on-demand micro transport services.
My Department regularly engages with key stakeholders in this area and is planning further engagement through the delivery, next year of a national sustainable mobility forum. The real beacon of hope is what we saw in Finglas - the Deputy attended its opening - where Dublin City Council put in a shared e-bike, car-sharing and charging system on council land. We might look to replicate that model across the city and other cities. I would be interested to hear the Deputy's experience of how that is working and whether it could be replicated across other areas in the city.
The Minister is right. I served for ten years on Dublin City Council and I am passionate about bike sharing because I saw how Dublin Bikes worked and how much the people of the city love it.
I am often asked when it will expand. We know the technology has moved on and we are moving towards stationless bikes. We also see a worrying trend in other cities where bike sharing companies are withdrawing from the market. I would like to see a model similar to that which we operate for buses. Let the NTA own the fleet and buy the 5,000 bikes we need in the city, after which we could issue a tender for existing companies to provide that service. That would ensure interoperability. It would also ensure that the State had control if any company were to encounter financial difficulties and ensure universal coverage. There is the matter of picking and choosing where parts of the city have this service and others do not.
I agree with the Deputy that the Dublin Bikes scheme was transformative. Dublin City Council led it out and the public loved it. I also agree that we now need to look at the next stage. I am speaking about Dublin and the supply to other cities to make sure bike schemes expand into other areas. It is confined and relatively restricted at the moment. I am interested in having that concept included in the study and the ongoing discussion. We do not want to interfere with what is for many people a successful working model for a number of different companies. We must be careful not to lose the good services we currently have. There has been significant roll-out. On the issue of the stationless system, that has worked and we have found that it is a viable model. This is a matter of striking a balance between making sure we do not lose what is working and looking at expansion.
The Minister hit the nail on the head. We need to work with existing companies but many of them are telling us that the capital costs of providing e-bikes across the whole city are significant and the State should be involved. They are, however, happy to be involved in the operation and delivery of the service. That would give the State control and provide stability in the city as people would know the bikes were owned by the State but operated by the different companies. The existing companies are open to dealing with the NTA and I have written extensively to the NTA on the matter. It says the capital expenditure is there but it needs a small budget allocation for the operation of such a scheme. I know we have done it in other cities and I think we could do it in Dublin.
I agree with the Minister. In as far as possible, we should not kill off those who are entrepreneurial enough to get the systems up and running. I would like to hear from the Minister about what sorts of incentives he is thinking of in terms of the strategy that is being developed. This can be the big game-changer if employers adopt it, priority is given in terms of road space, parking space and other assets and we can spread the schemes to wider geographical ranges. I am interested to know what policy tools the Minister is examining in the strategy evaluation.
This is just one element to it because what we do will have to be quite extensive. I mentioned an example in Finglas where Dublin City Council had installed facilities for e-car and e-bike charging. That was attractive and it could be an opportunity to provide access to a variety of different providers. I am looking at the climate fund to see if we could support such infrastructure being rolled out on a much more widespread basis in our five cities as a way of encouraging private operators into this space. The municipal authorities could provide some of the physical infrastructure, particularly for e-car charging. That will not be a small project but it could be done in an open way. That is one example that I am keen to look at as a way of giving a real stimulus to e-bike sharing and e-car sharing systems.