Call to ‘get on yer bike’ as rent-a-cycle scheme set to launch on sceptical city

GET on yer bike will be the order of the day when 450 bicycles become publicly available in Dublin from Sunday.

Dubliners gave a bemused welcome to the new bike stations which went on display in the city centre yesterday.

A true Dub quipped: “One of those bikes would look well under my mother’s bed,” while another predicted the new service is likely to be very popular, particularly with tourists and many workers in the capital. It is hoped vandalism will not be a major problem, and those who fail to return the bikes will have pay a €150 penalty on their credit card. According to the publicity blurb, for €10 you can enjoy all the benefits of Dublinbikes with the swipe of a card at one of the stations. For occasional use, or for visitors, a three-day ticket costs just €2.