Capital ambition for better, greener transport in our city
THERE’S been lots happening in the slow-paced world of local transport – news of a new deal and works soon starting on our much-needed bus station, a green paper from the council all about the future of how we move about Cardiff (more on that later), and Monday saw the launch of a sophisticated bike rental scheme.
I’m usually late for appointments, but on Monday I failed entirely to show up to one.
Not that I would have been missed as this was a press launch at County Hall for the new rental bikes, but all the same, it’s a bit frustrating because I had made the effort to attend. In error I went to City Hall.
In my defence, City Hall is so much grander and nicer and easier to get to for most people (well, me anyway) than County Hall.
Other than an inexplicably sloping foyer floor, what has it got that City Hall hasn’t, eh?
One of the reasons I got it wrong – in addition to now being a proud and therefore sleep-deprived dad to a beautiful new baby girl (hello Ella! please go to sleep) – was that I’d seen a photo of a new bike rental station in the Civic Centre and then when I actually passed it an ITV Wales news van was pulling up beside it.
I soon got chatting with the nice cameraman about cycling. (He’s just bought three electric bikes from Halfords for his family, you know. They were only £600 each and they’re loving the extra range they’re able to get on them.)
He eventually told me he was here for a fraud case at Crown Court and my error began to dawn on me.
Anyway, being all excited about the launch of this scheme from Nextbike, I’d already signed up for an account and handed over £10 to fund my first few trips, and also downloaded the easy-to-use app so I was ready to ride.
I did consider cycling down to the Bay on a rental bike to really make an entrance at the launch but the moment passed as I struggled to extract a bike from its dock.
There are instructions on the bikes, there are instructions on a nearby post, there are probably also instructions on the app but I am one who believe even quick start guides are for other people.
On my third attempt, with a different bike, and admittedly having paid attention to the text scrolling across the interface that is situated above the rear wheel of the bike, I released my bicycle and I was off, like the proverbial wind.
I’ve written in this column about this rental scheme before and you’ve probably seen news items on it this week already but, in case you’re not familiar with it all, basically this scheme is bigger and better and therefore more likely to succeed where others have failed.
There are currently five docking stations and 50 bikes, but in May’s full launch this will grow to 25 stations and 250 bikes.
Better yet, both these numbers will double by the end of August.
It’s financially supported by the Welsh Government (the location of a station – where four car parking spaces recently were – adjacent to the government buildings in the Civic Centre was not lost on us).
Costs to the user are £1 for half an hour’s riding.
You can also pay £5 per month or £60 per year and then the first 30 minutes is free each time you take a bike.
Fair play, the system’s virtually (but not quite, clearly) fool proof.
The technology is very clever, it’s easy to use provided your phone hasn’t died, the bikes have GPS tracking, and your account is valid on any of Nextbike’s 120 schemes worldwide.
Depending on where the stations are situated within Cardiff (they really need to be out of town too) I reckon this could be a gamechanger in the way quite a few of us move about the city. These “Boris bikes” are fun and user-friendly – we used a similar model in Bordeaux when a bunch of us went to support Wales in the Euro 2016 tournament. They made getting around the city so easy. This version is the latest generation, and they’re all brand new, and my one had been set up perfectly – I’ll always remember you, No 82541!
Green paper, green city Now don’t get me wrong, I love driving around Cardiff because, regardless of what many think, generally speaking it is still an easy city to drive around.
In the rain, and with I Loves The ‘Diff stock or a baby on board, it’s a very convenient way to get about.
The council has just published green paper on transport and clean air, Changing how we move around a growing city.
It addresses congestion and poor air quality, suggesting 18 ideas on how to tackle these.
Whilst congestion is a pain and wastes time and money, air quality is literally a matter of life and death.
This may sound dramatic but it’s now considered a public health crisis.
With ideas including a “total city 20mph zone” and parking levies within a Clean Air Zone, the green paper will probably ruffle a few feathers and spark some heated debate. But these are just suggestions. Personally, I think changes in line with vastly improved and far better integrated public transport systems are due, and while it may be hard for some of us to adjust, they will improve our lives.
It’s also exciting to think that we can all inform the decision-making on policies that will facilitate Cardiff’s rapid growth and transformation, so do check it out when you have five minutes. See the green paper at cardiff.gov. uk
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