The City of Bratislava has now made a call for tenders to supply the automated city bike rental system that it outlined in February, which will see stations set up throughout Bratislava where residents and visitors alike can pick up a bike for a small fee and then, hopefully, leave it at a different station.
Companies interested in submitting a tender can find all the relevant details in Slovak at www.bratislava.sk (under Transparentné mesto – Obstarávania), or get them from the Front Office at Bratislava City Hall and will have until 27 April 2012 to hand in their proposals. Tenders must demonstrate how operating costs would be covered, the terms of maintenance and other warranties, and the inclusion of at least 11 pick-up stations with 10 parking spaces.
A Selection Committee will send its recommendations to the City Council, which will take the final decision on the new system. City Hall hopes everything will be up and running by the summer, with the first eight stations to be put in place in July/August, covering mostly the inner city centre and linking up the three commercial developments Aupark, Eurovea and River Park, for instance.
The second stage is not planned until April 2013, when three more stations will be set up, on Postova ulica, at the University of Economics in Petrlzalka and at the car park of the recreational zone Železná studnička.
On the issue of how the bike riders will deal with the hazardous Bratislava roads, the city has earmarked EUR 491,000 toward creating and extending bike lanes, with the inclusion also of the first historical bike route around the centre, and bike lanes along the Danube embankment. The city is hoping the new bike system will ease up traffic congestion and parking issues, but that would probably need a lot more people to get on their bike.
You’re luck George M if it is only Audi drivers who piss you off. Around here it appears putting a local behind the wheel of any vehicle results in a total cessation of cerebal activity! How do you get a driving licence in the SK? are they free with some local product? Many drivers around here can’t read, it could be the dark glasses they wear in all weathers, the distraction of the mobile phone glued to their ear or just plain stupidity, but they seem to be oblibious to the one way and no entry signs on our street!
Bike routes/lanes? We have had them here for over 5 years. Only the very brave or suicidal use them, otherwise the cyclists use the pavement and “pedestrian zones”. The riverside route (EU Funded) is broad path with a white line down the middle, it cost a fortune to paint little foot prints and cyclists in the respective lanes which are completely ignored.
Hire bikes? yeah right!, they will go on the missing list pronto.
Tackers? a non starter! We have CCTV ( EU funded) that isn’t monitored. Using tracker presumes that the police will get off their backsides and do something. It may be different in BA, but here the city police couldn’t find an open door without adult supervision. They disappear when it gets dark. Their new motto, emblazoned on their cars is “To Sleep and To Shop” which is all I ever see them doing.
I though more like All U Do Idiot is piss me off >
A ll
U nqualified
D rives
I nternational
Crazy drivers ???….Beware anyone you see driving an Audi in Slovakia! I think when you buy one of these cars as a Slovak , they remove part of your brain as part of the Audi deal . What is it about these Audi people and the mental way they drive on all roads ?
I thought they tried this once before, but all the bikes dissapeared within 24hours……
TYPICAL! They only way to avoid the thefts, which will happen, is to have enough bikes for everyone, or place tracking devices on all the bikes, like they do for kids in the US!
Track everything! Good luck, I know you won’t catch me riding a bike if it looks like that, even if it is cheap! Too many crazy driviers here to risk being on a bike in the city!
A bike route should be the priority here. This city is notoriously hazardous for cyclists. Nice to see something being done about it though.