News - Transport

ACTION will offer free bus rides for passengers touting a bicycle from Monday.

There are a couple of catches though...

First is that there are currently only 74 buses in the fleet with bike racks, and the second is that the racks are limited to two bicycles, so if they are already full, you have to wait.

The ACT Government media release follows...

BIKE-N-RIDE COMMUTERS TO TRAVEL FOR FREE ON ACTION

Free travel for Bike-n-Ride commuters on ACTION buses fitted with bike racks will start on Monday, delivering on one of the Actions contained in the Government's Climate Change Strategy, Weathering the Change, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has announced.

'The Government is committed to ensuring that future generations of Canberrans enjoy a quality of life that equals or surpasses our own,' Mr Stanhope said today. 'To that end we are determined to reduce the burden of greenhouse gas emissions. Free bus travel for commuters using on-bus bike racks works on two levels - encouraging greater use of bicycles, but also giving greater flexibility to those who do choose to cycle, by encouraging them to combine bike use with public transport use.

'As part of the Government's commitment to creating a viable and effective public transport system, bicycle riders who place their bikes on the racks provided by ACTION will, from Monday, be entitled to  travel on that bus at no cost.

'Bike racks are currently fitted to a number of ACTION Intertown Series bus routes. There are currently 74 buses fitted with racks. Another 50 buses will be fitted with racks from early next year.

'Racks have the capacity to carry two bikes at a time. In the event that all rack spaces are being used, a passenger with a bike will have to wait for the next bus fitted with a bike rack, in order to travel for free.'

A fact sheet is available from interchanges and the ACTION website www.action.act.gov.au.