Belfast Bike

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Dear Belfast City Council,

Please can you provide the following information relating to the Belfast Bike Scheme

1 - Was a Business Case produced in advance of the Belfast Bike scheme being introduced?
1a - If so, please share this document(s)
2 - What was the anticipated volume of bike hires projected from launch over 3-5 years (if available)
3 - What was the anticipated profit or loss of the scheme from launch until 2018?
4 - What was the anticipated subsidy requirements, if any, per year from launch to 2018?
5 - What is the current average monthly vandalism cost to Belfast City Council relating to bike or station repairs?
6 - What was the anticipated number of fee paying "casual hires" per month?
7 - What was the projected "churn" of subscribers who do not renew their annual fee?

Yours faithfully,

Russell Hobbs

Anne Doherty, Belfast City Council

4 Attachments

Dear Mr Hobbs
Thank you for your email dated 3 February 2017 requesting, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, information on the Belfast Bikes scheme. I can confirm that Belfast City Council holds some of the information you have requested and has decided that the information it holds can be disclosed. Accordingly, this information is provided below and in the attached documents. Where the information requested is not held by the Council this is clearly indicated below. For ease of reference, I have reproduced your queries and provided the Council’s response directly beneath each query.

1. Was a Business Case produced in advance of the Belfast Bike scheme being introduced?
The Council holds the information requested in relation to a Business Case for the “Belfast Public Hire Bike Scheme” and copies of the documents are attached. For clarification, the original business case was commissioned by the Strategic Investment Board and the addendums were developed in response to the need for updates to the original business case. Addendum 1 (May 2012) provides updates on the needs assessment and scheme costs, Addendum 2 (3 September 2012) advises on a procurement approach and Addendum C (21 September 2012) advises on revenue costs.

2. What was the anticipated volume of bike hire projected from launch over 3-5 years (if available)
• The anticipated volume of bike hires was c.900 – 1,500 per day.

3. What was the anticipated profit or loss of the scheme from launch until 2018?
Projected figures are as follows:
Year 1 (April 2015 - April 2016) - £56,440
Year 2 (April 2016 - April 2017) - £23,050
Year 3 (April 2017 - April 2018) +£10,730

4. What was the anticipated subsidy requirements, if any, per year from launch to 2018?
Year 1 (April 2015 - April 2016) £56,440
Year 2 (April 2016 - April 2017) £23,050
Year 3 (April 2018 – April 2019) None

5. What is the current average monthly vandalism cost to Belfast City Council relating to bike or station repairs?
• The average monthly vandalism cost to the Council from May 2015 to Dec 2016 inclusive is £559.15 per month.

6. What was the anticipated number of fee paying "casual hires" per month?
• The Council does not hold the information requested. This is because the Outline Business Case did not contain information on a breakdown between the annual and casual membership. However, the Council can disclose that the actual number of casual members from May 2015 to January 2017 is 4972.

7. What was the projected "churn" of subscribers who do not renew their annual fee?
• The Council does not hold this information. The Outline Business Case did not contain figures relating to the projected “churn” however, the Council can disclose that the actual figure of annual members who did not renew their membership from May 2015 to January 2017 inclusive is 57.

Please note that if this information is to be published it should be attributed to being Belfast City Council’s response to a Freedom of Information request. For any media queries, you should contact Corporate Communications, Belfast City Council.
If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handled your request for information, you have the right to request that the Council formally review this decision. If you wish to do so, please write to the Records Manager, Belfast City Council, Chief Executive’s Department, City Hall, Belfast, BT1 5GS.
Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review, you can seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for an independent review should be made in writing to: The Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. However I would advise you that the Information Commissioner has indicated that a review will not be undertaken unless the Council has first had an opportunity to re-consider its decision.

Yours sincerely

Anne Doherty
Planning & Place Department

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