Two Successful Cycle Hire Schemes (And One Failure) | This Big City

Two Successful Cycle Hire Schemes (And One Failure) | This Big City

So what went wrong in Melbourne? Due to its compact city centre, Melbourne Bike Share is small compared to international equivalents, coming in at around 600 bikes and 50 docking stations. But with a population of 4 million in the greater Melbourne area, the potential for a large user base still exists. However, the scheme has only been able to manage an average of 183 trips per day – a truly embarrassing figure compared to those of Montréal and London.

The reason for the scheme’s lack of success is as clear as the tyres of its unused bicycles are clean – mandatory cycle helmet laws. In Australia, anyone caught riding a bicycle without a helmet can be fined. Refuse to pay those fines and you can be sent to jail. In London and Montréal, any adult pedestrian can casually hire a bike. In Melbourne, you have to have a bicycle helmet with you at the time. There is no opportunity for unplanned bicycle use. The city may have a population of 4 million, but only a fraction can realistically use its cycle hire scheme.