THE PROPOSED PUBLIC bicycle share scheme for Limerick’s city centre will be up and running by autumn 2014, the body responsible for the proposal said today.

The scheme will feature 23 docking stations, housing 400 individual docks across the city for 200 bikes. It is styled on the Dublin Bikes Scheme, which has recorded over three million journeys since its launch. Following the success of this scheme, the National Transport Authority initiated the introduction of similar schemes in Cork and Galway, as well as Limerick.

Limerick Smarter Travel – an initiative started by both the city and county councils, made the announcement today ahead of a public information session that is due to be held in Limerick this afternoon in relation to the scheme.

Pat O’Neill, project manager at Limerick Smarter Travel said the project “aims to develop an environmentally-friendly means of public transport that is healthy, relatively inexpensive, brings jobs closer to where people live, and ensures an improved quality of life in the City’s natural and built environment”.

He said the NTA has recently commenced the tender process for the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of the scheme.

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