“free bike hire has been part of the culture of many european cities for decades. in the netherlands, belguim, luxembourg and denmark, taking a bike from a designated stand is as common place as jumping on the no. 47 bus.

eric carlin, from coatbridge, has been living in osten on the belgian coast for two years, where taking a bike ride through the park or to the beach has become a way of life. and although it’s something he’d like to see take off in glasgow, he admits things are a little more geared up for bike life in belguim.
“in ostend there are about eight places where you can pick up a bike, use it for a day for whatever purpose and bring it back. each one of them has about 200 bikes.

“every big town or city has these near parks, town centers or stations. all that’s needed is a card which proves who you are.

“the result is less traffic and a healthy population. “would this catch on in glasgow? i don’t know, but it would be great if it did.”
evening times, glasgow. 20 feburary 2006