AusLeisure

Brisbane City Council has awarded an exclusive 20-year contract to JCDecaux Australia to operate the City's planned bicycle hire scheme.

An election commitment from Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, the self-service bicycle hire scheme will be the first of its type in Australia.

The scheme, which will be partly funded by advertising, will employ up to 25 full-time staff and work in tandem with other transport networks.

Speaking after announcing the contract award to JCDecaux Australia, Lord Mayor Newman stated that "from March next year Brisbane residents and tourists will be able to access one of 2,000 bikes, which will be accessible by swipe cards."

Subscription to the scheme will cost $55 a year or $25 a quarter (casual users will pay $10 a day), with the first 30 minutes of use free.

Bike docking stations will operate 5am to 10pm every day of the year.

JCDecaux (who were selected over two other bids after a thorough, six-month competitive tender process) will design, supply, install and maintain 150 self-service docking stations for 2,000 bicycles within the Brisbane CBD and surrounding metropolitan areas.

The Brisbane Lord Mayor is also planning for Brisbane to spend a record $100 million on new bikeways during his term and explained that the bike hire scheme and the new shared cycleways would cement Brisbane's reputation as Australiaâs most bicycle-friendly city.

Operating in more than 50 countries, Parisâbased JCDecaux is the second largest outdoor advertising corporation in the world, best known for its bus-stop advertising systems, billboards and street furniture. It's also pioneered the modern 'Sanisette' public toilet - a self-contained, self-cleaning, unisex, unit often known as the 'superloo'.

In addition, JCDecaux operates advertising backed self-service bicycle hire schemes in 16 countries, including the highly successful scheme in its home city of Paris.

In the article 'How Do We Measure Up' in the November/December 2008 issue of Australasian Leisure Management, this magazine reported on London's planned bicycle hire scheme.

For more information go to www.jcdecaux.com.au 

27th June 2008 - PARKS FORUM HIGHLIGHTS VALUE OF PARKS

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