JAKE: Which is the main point.
AMY: Exactly. But I’d say it’s had less of an impact on noise pollution because there are still loads of buses and lorries around.
JAKE: Right.
AMY: Shall we quickly discuss the recommendations we’re going to make?
JAKE: In order to ensure bike-sharing schemes are successful?
AMY: Yes.
JAKE: OK. Well, while I think it’s nice to have really state-of-the art bikes with things like GPS, I wouldn’t say they’re absolutely necessary.
AMY: But some technical things are really important – like a fully functional app – so people can make payments and book bikes easily. Places which haven’t invested in that have really struggled.
JAKE: Good point … Some people say there shouldn’t be competing companies offering separate bike-sharing schemes, but in some really big cities, competition’s beneficial and anyway one company might not be able to manage the whole thing.
AMY: Right. Deciding how much to invest is a big question. Cities which have opened loads of new bike lanes at the same time as introducing bike-sharing schemes have generally been more successful – but there are examples of successful schemes where this hasn’t happened … What does matter though – is having a big publicity campaign.
JAKE: Definitely. If people don’t know how to use the scheme or don’t understand its benefits, they won’t use it. People need a lot of persuasion to stop using their cars.