Harold’s Cross welcomes Dublin’s first ‘bike library’

With a selection of cargo bikes, e-bikes and folding bikes available to borrow.

A UCD professor has launched a bike library project at the Educate Together National School in Harold’s Cross, giving parents the option to travel by bike rather than car when bringing their kids to school.

The project, run by Professor of Smart Cities Francesco Pilla has been launched with the intention of eliminating the initial cost of switching to cycling as your main mode of transport.

Speaking to RTÉ News, Professor Pilla said:

As e-cargo bikes are quite expensive, I think that creates a barrier because parents or families don’t feel like investing such an amount of money….but I think once they try them and feel the convenience, how it’s easy to go around and bring kids to school they might want to invest.

Cargo or e-bikes can cost thousands of euro – a hefty additional cost for back-to-school season, even if it is a money saver down the line.

The pilot project will see families given a loan of a bike for the duration of the school year at no charge, RTÉ reports.

The bikes are provided by Bleeper bike which has a contract with UCD, and the scheme is part of the iChange project, funded by the European Commission and is supported by Science Foundation Ireland.

Header image via Shutterstock

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