Blackpool is hoping that a touch of Parisian chic will help revive its fortunes when it launches a bicycle hire scheme based on one that is proving hugely popular in the French capital.
The number of people visiting Blackpool has fallen by over 40 per cent in recent years, but it is hoped that the £1million project will boost tourism in the town and re-establish its reputation as a family-friendly holiday destination.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Mass cycle hire schemes like the Vélib in Paris are a wise investment – they can help make towns and cities healthier, greener and easier to get about.”
The Blackpool bicycle hire scheme is a joint venture between the local council, NHS trust and Cycling England – the government’s advisory body on cycling.
Mass Cycle hire schemes
There is nothing new about the idea of mass bicycle hire, but the ‘Velib’ in Paris is the first to have been a success. The infamous “White Bikes” launched in Amsterdam in the 1960s ended in disaster when most of the bicycles ended up at the bottom of the city’s canals.
Whilst Vélib has not been without its teething problems – an estimated 100 bikes a week go missing – it is popular with Parisians and remains the largest scheme of its kind in the world with 20,000 bicycles.
Users subscribe to the service and pay an hourly rate for rental, but the first 30 minutes is always free.
The bikes can be picked up and dropped off at any one of the 1,450 ‘automatic rental terminals’ dotted around the city.
Do cyclists need insurance?
Cyclists using hire bikes are likely to be covered by insurance as part of the rental agreement, but it makes sense for everyone else to have a comprehensive policy.
As those that run hire schemes are all too aware, bikes are vulnerable to theft and in the case of an accident cyclists may need to seek compensation or even deal with a claim by someone else. Cycle insurance from the ETA includes new-for-old replacement, third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, they will even come out and recover you and your bike.
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