Dundee City Council has given the go-ahead for secure “bike hangars” to be installed across the city.
The scheme will cost around £225,000 and Dundonians will be able to store their bikes for £6 per month within units on the city’s streets.
Bike infrastructure company Cyclehoop will operate the scheme.
Members of the council’s city development committee, all agreed to back the project.
The scheme is already a success in Glasgow, where the same firm operates 140 hangars, and in Edinburgh, where it has 90 units.
There will be six units in Dundee initially, rising to 40.
The cycle storage scheme is a key part of the council’s Sustainable Transport Strategic Delivery Framework agreed in March this year.
Lochee, Douglas, St Marys and Menzieshill are the likely locations for the hangars, but these are not yet confirmed.
It is hoped the scheme will encourage and promote cycling across the city after a survey found that bike ownership within Dundee is the lowest in Scotland.
The units will provide a choice for the large number of residents who live in older tenements with narrow stairwells and entrances.
‘Are we offering insurance?’
Insurance of bikes was raised as a potential issue for users of the new units.
Speaking at the committee on Monday, Labour councillor for Strathmartine, Kevin Keenan asked: “Are we offering any kind of insurance that we’ll look after their goods?
“Or does everyone leave their bikes their at their own risk, given that some of these electric bikes are the best part of a couple of thousand pounds?”
Ewan Macnaughton, head of sustainable transport and roads replied: “Insurance isn’t included. It follows similar measures with car parking and so forth.
“They are secure units, as secure as you can get. Nothing’s fool-proof, but again it doesn’t indemnify (compensate someone) for insurance purposes.
“There’s a number of reasons for that, particularly around ownership of the bikes.”
Mr Keenan responded: “I hope people will make that perfectly clear, in any kind of lease agreement so that there’s no ambiguity.”
‘The way the city works’
SNP councillor for Maryfield, Lynne Short said: “There’s no way I’m hunking (carrying) a bike up my stairs and then having it in my hallway. So, hopefully this will start to be the same for lots of people across the city.”
She added: “It’s about climate change. Because if you’re on your bike and you can go from my house to Albert Street, to go to Lidl, then it’s going to be a lot easier…
“It’s not just about bikes, it’s about the way the city works.”
Conversation