The Bike Dispenser - bicycle vending machines reach Europe - 25-03-2008

The Bike Dispenser…dispenses bicycles on demand. The service is at pilot stage since Sept. 2007 in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, but it sounds perfect for most places if the concept works out. You pay a subscription to obtain a smartcard and PIN number and use that to rent a bike at any of the vending machines you find (the plan is to site them at places like railway stations, park and ride etc). Just stick your card in the slot, enter the code and 15 seconds later out pops a bike for you to use. When you’re done just pop it back into the slot and your rental period ends. The best thing is the fact that you can return them to different dispensers around town, which is very convenient. The project is expected to become popular in all Europe through vending operators.