Wheel anger over council’s €12k spend on bike lockers

The council has come under fire for splashing out more than €12,000 on just ten bike lockers that residents say are a waste of money.
The lockers on the Lucan Road (near Woodies) were installed in December in conjunction with BikeLocker.ie as part of a pilot scheme to encourage the public to use their bikes as part of their daily commute to the city centre.
In response to a question by Cllr Danny O’Brien (SF) at the Lucan Area Committee meeting, it was revealed that the total cost of 10 lockers including padlocks and delivery was €12,372.50.
Each locker is designed as a self-contained unit with additional space for users to store their cycling gear and helmet.
Individual lockers are for rent at €1.83 per week and €95 per annum plus a refundable deposit of €25.
A number of people took to social media to voice their disapproval over the price and location of the lockers.
One person wrote: “Oh Lucan could definitely do with more bike lockers… not. Jesus wept, who the hell comes up with these crazy ideas? It’s homes we need for Christ’s sake or accommodation for our homeless.”
Another person said on the Lucan Life Facebook page: “Why not put some in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre? People could safely leave bikes while shopping.
One commenter said: “What a shame to have such a great service but what good is it if you can’t get on a bus?! Defeats the purpose.”
Another wrote: “12 grand? What are they made of, gold?”
Another local man said: “I see those bike lockers every day when I’m commuting to and from work, but I’ve never, ever seen anybody using them.
“I think that cycling to work, and keeping fit with a bike, are great ideas. But to be honest with you, I don’t understand why those lockers are there.
“I mean, if you’re commuting to or from town, why would you cycle to or from the edge of the village to hop on or off a bus to finish your journey? Who does that? Why would you?”
Cllr Danny O’Brien told The Gazette that he has seen at least three people using the lockers recently, but says it’s hard to imagine too many cyclists from Lucan availing of the service.
“It’s hard to know who the service is for. I can’t imagine that there’s too many people in Lucan who would cycle up there and get on the bus – they would probably be coming from the likes of Celbridge or Leixlip.
“The problem with the location is that by the time the cyclists arrive at the Lucan Road in the morning the busses will be full.
“However, I still have an open mind to the scheme. I think it’s worthwhile getting a few people healthier and taking more cars off the road,” he said.
Richard Strahan, owner of Bikelocker.ie, said the idea of these bike lockers are “very simple”.
“The fastest way to get into the city centre from Lucan is to take the bus.
“The problem is that there’s an awful lot of cars blocking the road network there during peak times.
“The whole idea of the bike lockers is to take your bike out of your shed and cycle past all of the traffic in the morning and then hop on an express bus into the city centre.
“The rent fee for the bikes is only €1.83 per week, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than paying for parking before you hop onto a bus or train.”