‘Coke Zero Bikes’ for Cork, Limerick and Galway

The Department of Transport has announced the bike-share scheme for three Irish cities will be called “Coke Zero Bikes” after the soft drinks giant secured title sponsorship.

The schemes, modelled after the successful Dublin Bikes initiative, will allow users to rent bikes for short periods free of charge, and dock them at a range of stations scattered through the urban centre.

The Cork, Limerick and Galway schemes are due to be up and running by July 2014.

Today’s announcement of the naming partnership comes after the Government sought the aid of private sponsorship to supplement exchequer funds for €4m in set-up costs and operating costs of €900,000 every year.

Under the naming deal, Coca-Cola will provide €3m in funding over the next five years.

Coke Zero branding will appear on both the bikes themselves and the stations, the Department of Transport said.

The three cities will be equipped with a combined 700 bikes at 73 docking stations – 315 in Cork, 200 in Limerick, and 185 in Galway.

Minister Alan Kelly said the Department estimates that an extra 700,000 trips will be made by bicycle as a result.

“It is an amazing achievement to see it pay off and a private sector partner for the schemes secured,” Kelly said.

““The only way this scheme could work was if there was a private sector partner to support it … now we will have one of the world’s best marketing companies, not only investing financially in the scheme but also actively engaged in cycling promotion and provision in Ireland."

The Minister also said the Department “had to think of an innovative way to make such a scheme attractive to a company such as Coca-Cola.”

The tendering process began last November, with four interested companies competing before Coca-Cola was chosen.