Island bicycle rentals too expensive for many

Re Family-owned bike rental wins back Island

contract, April 13 This should be a heartwarming story: Family-owned company gets its city contract back. But it’s not. The bicyclerental contract renewal just perpetuates the overpriced city-regulated summer fun activities that price out all but the dizziest of tourists and well-heeled Torontonians.

I recall taking my kids to the Island when they were little. The excitement on their faces as we boarded the ferry, watching them jump up and down when I handed them a block of tickets for the Centreville rides. But then, as we walked over to Wards, they would look at the cool quad bikes and go quiet. They knew better than to ask their dad if he could rent one.

I’m glad that Priya Rao’s mom and dad are excited to be running the bike operation again. I can’t speak to their bottom line but I hope they find a way to make this fun activity more accessible to folks on a budget. After all, fun shouldn’t be the exclusive activity of the rich. Ben Bull, Toronto