The Dublin Bikes bicycle-hire scheme, operated by out of home company JCDecaux, is to be discontinued by Dublin City Council (DCC) after 18 years. The loss-making service had not expanded in eight years. The council said it will end its contract with the French-owned company next year. The DCC has plans to start its own service, doubling the number of bikes.
The scheme allows subscribers to take and leave bikes at designated stations n the city centre. The operation recorded a drop in subscriptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as competition from other bike-rental services whch did not have designated stations. JCDecaux owns the 1,600 bikes and their stands at 115 hire stations across the city.
The company’s agreement with the council is due to expire in September next year.
Under the council’s new scheme, it will own the stations and possibly also the fleet of bikes. A contract for the operation and maintenance of the service will be offered. DCC confirmed: “It is intended there would be one operator across the city and that there is a combination of classic (non-powered) bikes and e-bikes, with a fleet or around 4,000 bikes.
In 2017, a new sponsor came on board, namely food delivery company Just Eat. Three years later, Sky Ireland signed up as sponsor with its Now TV streaming service in a deal said to be worth €2.25 million over three years. In late 2024, after almost a year without sponsorship, the council agreed a deal with insurance company Red Click.
The subscriber’s annual membership charge increased from €25 to €35 in 2020. It has stayed at that rate for six years. Members can use a bike for free for the first 30 minutes, with the next half-hour costing 50 cent and charges then increasing on an hourly basis. The average journey time is 15 minutes and annual subscribers rarely pay any extra fees.
