A working group has been set up by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) to drive a new rent-a-bike scheme in the city.
According to local reports, the bike-share scheme would be similar to Dublin Bikes, which has been a massive hit with residents and tourists in the capital.
Bike-share schemes are rapidly growing in popularity in cities across the world. They reduce dependency on cars, are good for the environment and are easy to use.
Councillor Malcolm Noonan, a member of the KLP working group, said: “There are many examples of small schemes across the world and we are looking primarily at what they call ‘docked’ bike schemes.
“Dublin Bikes is a docked scheme where customers register and can access bikes from docked stations, as opposed to free bike schemes where bikes are simply accessed via an app and a scan code and can be left back at any public bike rack.
“Our working group believes that such a scheme could add to a suite of measures to reduce car dependency, tackle dangerous emissions, improve the viability of our town centre and make our streets safer for everyone.
“There’s nothing new or novel about them, they have been around since the 1960s and as we re-imagine our urban centres, we need to innovate and think differently, as to how we keep our towns vibrant and buzzing.”
Cllr Noonan said Kilkenny City is perfectly laid out for city cycling, enjoying a compact and mostly flat urban landscape.
He added that the completion of a spine along the River Nore through the Brewery site will further add to the connectivity within the city.
The working group set up to deliver the scheme comprises of members of Kilkenny County Council, KLP, Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership and the Oscar-nominated animation studio, Cartoon Saloon.
The studio came on board after they discovered that most of their staff cycled to work and felt they would benefit from a bike-share scheme. They also see the bike-share scheme as a great way to link Kilkenny’s many tourist attractions for visitors to the city.
Cllr Noonan added: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to brand our bikes with characters from Song of the Sea, Secret of Kells or The Breadwinner? As in many other European cities, bikes are distinguished by branding or a strong colour.
“Ours could be distinctly Kilkenny in colour and design. I think it would be fantastic to arrive at MacDonagh train station and pick up a bike to cycle into town or to be able to cycle on a city bike from Loughboy or Talbot’s Inch or Newpark into town to shop or do business.”
Cllr Noonan said the working group is hopeful the project will advance over the next year once it can secure the necessary funding.
