Owner Belfast City Council Operator(s) NSL Number of stations 40 Transit type Bicycle-sharing system Province Ulster | Website belfastbikes.co.uk Began operation April 27, 2015 Number of vehicles 632 Phone +44 343 357 1551 | |
Locale Belfast, Northern Ireland Address Donegall Square N, Belfast BT1 5GB, UK | ||
Coca-Cola Zero Belfast Bikes, commonly referred to as Belfast Bikes, is a public bicycle rental scheme which has operated in the city of Belfast since April 2015. At its launch, the scheme, which is sponsored by Coca-Cola HBC, used 300 Unisex bicycles with 30 stations.
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Belfast City Council owns the scheme. The Department for Regional Development (DRD) provided initial capital funding for the scheme as part of their Active Travel Demonstration Projects budget. NSL is looking after the daily operation of the scheme, while Nextbike is responsible for the bikes.
Expansion and development
Starting initially with 30 stations, the number has increased to 40 development and has expanded beyond the city centre area. This includes two stations at Queen's University Belfast (the cost of which was covered by the University), one close to the Titanic Belfast Convention Centre, and at the Mater, Royal Victoria and Belfast City Hospitals (the cost covered by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust). Locations in more residential areas (Shankill Road, Duncairn and the new CS Lewis Square) is also a new feature of the expanding scheme.
Plans for expansion are ratified by vote by Belfast City Council Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.
Cost to users
To use the system, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of rentals. Subscriptions can get an Annual Hire Card costing £20, or a 3-day ticket costing £5. Prices effective from April 2015. Users also authorise Belfast Bikes to charge £120 from their credit card if the bike is not returned. The first half-hour of every journey is free, after that a service charge applies. See below for pricing structure:
See here for a map of the current Belfast Bike docking stations.