The annual membership for Dublinbikes is set to increase by 40 per cent, from €25 to €35 a year on September 3rd.
However, the charge per trip will not be increasing and city councillors have been told that the fee for most members will still be less than 68 cent a week.
The city council says 94 per cent of journeys are free, as they are less than half an hour long.
Colm Ryder from cyclist.ie says the timing of the decision is not ideal for those who pay for membership in light of the Covid-19 pandemic: “Any increase is not something anybody looks forward to, especially in these days.
These kind of strange Covid days, days when people are losing jobs, when people are out of work, so it’s not a great idea whatsoever, and particularly when it has come out of the blue.
“These kind of strange Covid days, days when people are losing jobs, when people are out of work, so it’s not a great idea whatsoever, and particularly when it has come out of the blue.”
Mr Ryder says the increase in the subscription fee could deter people from cycling or cause them to use other bike rental schemes: “There are some other options on the market now in terms of Bleeperbike... ones where you can take your bike and leave it anywhere, you pay per journey.
“I think a lot of people were locked out of Dublin Bikes and probably used the likes of Bleeperbike because of this increase. Nobody likes an increase so there certainly will be a reaction against it.”
There were plans to expand the Dublinbikes rental scheme into more suburbs, however they were prevented due to funding issues.
Cycling facilities in Dublin have long been criticised by groups campaigning for investment in infrastructure for cyclists.
The Government’s July Stimulus Package contains several measures aimed at encouraging people to swap cars, buses and trains for bikes, including plans for investment in urban cycling.
