£60 a trip: Low usage could see Dumfries cycle hire scheme scrapped

Agree with the comment above that we shouldn't expect these schemes to be self-funding any more than we expect rail and bus services to be self-funding. Investments in transport infrastructure are made to accommodate population growth and deliver economic growth. TfL haven't set up the Boris Bike scheme as a money-spinner but because it is impossible to accommodate trip demand from London's growth by road building, and it's a hundred times cheaper than digging more tube tunnels. The tube network is clogged with passengers making short trips of under two miles around central London which could be just as quick by bike, and the 'subsidy' to the bike scheme delivers massive cost savings in the bigger picture.

The drivers for the Dumfries scheme are rather less clear, however. Although £60 per trip is less than the subsidy for some train and bus services, it's hard to see any clear 'bigger picture' justification for this scheme.

TfL are massively subsidised for buses, trains, tubes etc. Why should the bikes be expected to generate a profit?

The Dumfries scheme does seem a bit rubbish though.

Don't forget Oxford, we have one of these ridiculous schemes too.

I actually have mixed feelings about it - on the positive side, it is a very visible advert that the area is trying, at least, to be pro- cycling. And perhaps this might convince a few people to ride who otherwise wouldn't.

But imho, far more people would be swayed by infrastructure than by propaganda.

Cheaper and easier for local politicians to do a bike hire scheme than provide decent infrastructure and they can then tick the 'Promote Cycling' box in their Transport policy.
Start a scheme that is doomed to fail - then when it does say there is no public interest in cycling and divert money elsewhere.
Aint politics great eh?

I have a bike of my own that suffices for ordinary trips into and around town. But I would love to be able to hire more specialist bikes from time to time when I have a use for them. A bakfiets for transporting visiting nieces, say, or a cargo bike for moving heavy loads (preferably one with an electric motor, given that I live on a steep hill.) If the money had been spent on leasing a smaller number of specialist bikes (cargo bikes with electric motors, bikes with kiddy trailers etc) to individuals and families for days, weeks or months at a time, it might have been more useful.

Cycling infrastructure will make a much larger difference than a bike hire in mid size cities that don't have a huge tourism base

My opinion is that no one will ride these bikes until they feel it is safe to do so. There is so much bad press over cycling at the moment that people will either walk or stay safe in their cars. I wouldn't imagine Dumfries is the warmest place to cycle either.

The University of Warwick (a small campus university) was consulting on implementing a bike hire scheme last year.

Thank goodness nothing has been heard of it since

It seems to me that cycle hire schemes would abound where the city centre is large enough that walking between points is arduious.
London, I can totally see this, it is highly dense population and there is already a desire and demand not to use one's car in the locale. Look at the number of 'bus routes, underground, light railway, normal railway etc.
Let us be honest no where else is quite as densely populated, even considering West Midlands conurbation, Greater Manchester or West Yorkshire Urban Area, these are still not quite dense enough to justify it I don't think.
Why go though the hassel of hiring a bike when I can walk the distance is only slightly longer.
Of coiurse of great interest would be an understanding into who uses the Boris bikes and why. If they are tourists on novelty trips then that would be a warning sign.

£60 a pop to hire a POS bike. Is it any wonder the scheme is not being used?

A far better system, in towns like Dumfries, would be long term hire, where users hire a bike for a week or more, from an empty high street shop for instance. Much lower running costs, far more opportunity to spread the "message" and you could always have a voucher scheme tie in with local bike shops. Run the same outlet as a cycle cafe and it could become financially self supporting.

Is it any wonder that people dont use the bikes when politicians do zip for the road safety of cyclists? Not a week goes by where there isnt a cyclist reported being injured or killed and those are usually commuters that know their way around cycling. And then you expect John Doe from Dumfries to take to the bike and 'risk his life'? Unlikely!

First there needs to be a change of attitude towards cycling in this country, supported by legislation and changes to the road network for these kind of schemes to become a success!

The population of Dumfries is actually around 31,000. The population of Dumfries & Galloway is around 150,00. I grew up in Dumfries and running a cycle hire scheme there seems pretty daft to me.

The town centre is very compact and could be walked around in less than an hour. Any tourist attractions that the town has would be situated within a square mile at most.

Like most other towns the town centre itself has also been decimated by out of town developments, which you get to by, you guessed it..... cars.

Waste of money that could have been put to better use.

Dumfries population: 147,930. I think the man with deep pockets might find buying them all a new bike a tad more expensive than the cycle hire scheme.

Interesting though - how many bikes are there? Why aren't people using them? Is the city too small and car parking/public transport too good? Does cycle hire benefit from better weather (sorry Scotland!).

This blog did an interesting piece on comparing cycle hire schemes.

There's still worrying talk of Manchester implementing just such a scheme. Let's hope Manchester Councli & GMT are paying attention to this kind of story.

To be honest, I'm amazed anyone thought this would work in a place like Dumfries or Blackpool, or even a medium-sized city like Nottingham. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of what people use bikes for. It works in London because London's centre is very large and walking from e.g Hyde Park Corner to Leadenhall Market just isn't feasible, whereas cycling is. I can't think of an equivalent journey in Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool...

Spend some money on proper cycling infrastructure instead. Or just fill in the potholes on Palatine Road (and elsewhere)!

I can see how these schemes might work in places with very high visitor numbers or where space is at a premium and people can't store bikes, but Dumfries? Slough??