Athlone's new bike hire scheme: How will it work and what it will cost?

Westmeath County Council's new bicycle hire scheme in Athlone and Mullingar will see 30 bikes being made available for hire in each town from this Monday (April 25).

The app-based scheme is being operated by an Irish company, Moby Bikes, on behalf of the council.

The council said this week that the cost of hiring one of the bikes would be €1 per hour, up to a maximum of €16 per use.

Photo-shoots took place in Mullingar town centre on Wednesday afternoon, and outside Athlone Castle yesterday (Thursday) to help publicise the scheme.

Ten Athlone bike-hire locations

The 30 bikes will be spread across 10 locations in each town.

The council said the initial locations where the bikes would be situated in Athlone were as follows: Athlone Castle (opposite Sean's Bar); Athlone Castle (beside tunnel); Church Street; The entrance to Athlone Marina; Athlone Civic Centre; Golden Island Shopping Centre; Dublingate Street; St Mary's Church; Garrycastle greenway entrance; and Athlone Regional Sports Centre.

This is a pilot scheme, and the council said there was potential for it to be extended depending on the level of take-up by the general public.

How will it work?

In order to hire a bike, you will first need to download the Moby Move app on your phone, register your details, and select your town. The council said the app will then show you where the nearest bike is located.

"When you find the bike, simply scan the code on the bike and the app will unlock it. You are then free to use the bike for as long as you require.

"Your hire won't end until you decide to return the bike. The charge is set at €1 per hour with a maximum charge of €16 per ride," said the local authority.

"When you are finished, simply return the bike to a designated station, lock it up, and end your journey. The bikes themselves are designed to be very user-friendly and easy to ride.

"Even those that may not have ventured on a bicycle in a while will find it comes back to them very quickly."

'Very comfortable' bikes

The Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Frankie Keena warmly welcomed the launch of the scheme, saying that the bikes that would be available from Monday were "fabulous and very comfortable" to cycle.

"This is a good news story which will be a marvellous incentive in attracting extra tourists into the county, and it will also be of great assistance to residents as they move around the towns doing their daily activities," he said.

“This an initiative that I have been raising for quite a while now and I am just thrilled to see it coming to fruition”, said the Fianna Fáil councillor.

“The main purpose of the project is to encourage people to get out of their cars and start cycling.

"A review of the scheme will take place later this year so I urge everyone to use these bikes as often as they can," added Cllr Keena.