More than 4.5m journeys on city bikes last year

More than 4.5 million journeys were take on city bikes in 2015, as part of the schemes based in Dublin, Cork , Limerick and Belfast, new figures show.

October 8th was the busiest day for cyclists in Dublin with 17,222 journeys recorded.

More than 74,000 people have subscribed to the five city bike initiatives. Dublin city’s cycling scheme was implemented in 2009, and the four other regional cities in March 2015.

Over the first 12 months of the scheme; Cork recorded almost 290,000 trips, Belfast more than 143,000, Limerick 40,118 and Galway about 20,000 journeys.

An increasing number of people were using the Coca-Cola Zero scheme bikes as part of their everyday routine, Anne Graham chief executive of the National Transport Authority said

“New habits are forming and we are calling on everyone to take Ireland’s cycling culture to the next level in 2016,” she said.

Owen Keegan, chief executive of Dublin City Council, said 13.5 million trips have been made in the city since the scheme started seven years ago.

“The number of cyclists entering Dublin city has more than doubled since 2006,” he said.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Arder Carson said the scheme was a fast, fun and flexible way for people to travel around the city and be more active.

Dublin

-4.1 million journeys taken in 2015

-13,411,953 since launch in 2009

- 57,750 subscribers to the scheme

Cork

- 289,426 journeys in 2015

- 7,416 subscribers to the scheme.

Galway

- 19,934 journeys in 2015

- 1,864 subscribers to the scheme

Limerick

- 40,118 journeys in 2015

- 2,374 subscribers to the scheme

Belfast

-143,222 journeys in 2015

- 5,336 subscribers to the scheme