A NEW REPORT has recommended a significant expansion of a “bike bunker” programme in Dublin to deploy 300 of the locked bike shelters around the city by 2026.

It follows positive public reaction to a pilot scheme which the report said demonstrated “substantial demand” for secure parking spaces for bicycles in the capital.

However, the report, which was commissioned by Dublin City Council, has also recommended that the running of the scheme should be outsourced to a private contractor who will have responsibility for allocating spaces, processing payments and maintenance of the bunkers.

Councillors will be informed at a meeting of the council’s traffic and transport committee next week that lessons learned from the scheme to date show that Dublin City Council does not have sufficient staff resources to progress the scheme or to maintain it into the future.

Council officials will tell elected representatives that the situation “is unlikely to change.”

There are currently 12 bike bunkers – secure hangars which can accommodate around six bicycles each – located around Dublin city including areas such as Portobello, Stoneybatter, The Liberties and Broadstone.

They are mostly situated in quiet residential neighbourhoods with terraced houses where there are limited spaces for storing bicycles conveniently and where there is low demand for car parking permits.

Most users live within 200 metres of a bike bunker.

Users pay a rental charge of €100 per year – twice the cost of a residential parking permit.

The report showed the annual cost of similar storage shelters for bicycles in other European cities ranges from €15 in Brussels to €123 in the Islington Council area of London.

The initiative was first trialled in Dublin in 2015 but its planned expansion has been stalled for a number of years, although almost 2,400 people have applied for a bike bunker space.

An official in charge of the council’s micro mobility unit, Jennifer McGrath said the bike bunker scheme had “showcased its capacity to bring positive transformations to the city’s communities.”

McGrath said a comprehensive procurement process needs to be initiated for the development of the bike bunker scheme regardless of whether it remains under the direct control of the council or its operational control is outsourced to a service provider.

She said the council’s aim was to “establish a well-organised and efficient bike bunker system that benefits both citizens and aligns with the city’s overall sustainability goals.”

The cost of expanding the bike bunker scheme is estimated at €1.5m for the first three years which includes the cost of purchasing around 150 bike bunkers.

The report by Arup also recommended that the alternative parking facilities, such as Sheffield stands, should be provided in parts of the city where there is a high demand for on-street storage of bicycles.

It also acknowledged that the lack of safe, secure, covered, accessible and conveniently located storage spaces was a barrier to owning and using a bicycle in Dublin.

The report recommended that the council should encourage grassroot community initiatives to take charge of the existing bike bunkers if the scheme fails to expand due to insurmountable cost or operational issues.

A survey conducted of current users of bike bunkers found 88% would recommend the service to others with 80% claiming they would renew their space at the same price.