Bid for Blue Bikes
The failure of a Melbourne bike-share scheme could prove favourable for Wimmera residents and tourists if an idea from Horsham mayor Mark Radford comes to fruition.
The State Government has elected to scrap its $2-milliona-year Blue Bike program, which it introduced in 2010 to promote inner-city cycling in Melbourne.
The program, ceasing in late November, allows people to pay a small fee to rent the bikes for a period of time.
Since the announcement, the question of what will be done with the bikes has been circulating, and Horsham Rural City Council’s Mark Radford has offered up an idea – bring a few bikes to the Wimmera.
While no official decision has been made and it is ‘only an idea at the moment’, Cr Radford said he had exchanged emails with Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford and the RACV, which distributes the bikes, expressing interest in obtaining about 20 for Horsham and Natimuk use.
He said if the plan matured, the additions could offer both Wimmera residents and tourists increased recreational opportunities.
“If they could spare 20 that would be pretty fantastic,” he said.
“We have the Arapiles Big Sky Bicycle Trail, so this could be an opportunity to have some bikes that people could use to go for a ride.
“It could create opportunities for tourists here too. When people pack their suitcase, they can just pack their helmet, and if they find themselves with a bit of extra time to spare, they could hop on one of the bikes and go for a ride.
“But it is only an idea at the moment. We haven’t had any formal information on an official decision.”
While the bike-share program is a paid service in Melbourne, Cr Radford said if Horsham Rural City Council could offer the program there was potential for it to be free.
He said Horsham Rural City Council was a strong advocate of active lifestyles, and the bikes could be used on the city’s river trails, including the latest route on the Wimmera River’s south bank.
“We opened up the new bicycle trail on the south of the river, so it is now open from the pedestrian bridge down to the weir,” he said.
“The trail has been there for about two to three months, which is something I don’t think a lot of people know at the moment. You can do the whole loop now.”
Cr Radford said while administrative jobs, including making bike racks and organising maintenance, would need to be considered if the plan came through, he was simply throwing out a suggestion for the soon-to-be cancelled Blue Bikes.
“We’ll just wait and see what happens,” he said.