The Cardiff Smart Bike Scheme will be launched today as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s scheme to limit car use in the capital.

The Smart Bike was first launched in Rennes in 1998 and has grown to become something of an icon in Paris. Several other European countries have adopted the scheme including Norway, Spain, Italy and Sweden and the system has been operating in Britain under the management of OYBike which has docking stations in Reading, Cambridge, Farnborough and London.

The Cardiff City Council has launched the bicycle rental system as part of its Sustainable Travel City project which has seen close to £30 million spent on transport improvements and initiatives. The new bike hire scheme will ease city congestion and allow users to pick-up and drop-off at any one of 10 Smart Bike points around the city including the CBD and bayside area. Other locations include Churchill Way, City Hall, Central Train Station and Queen Street.

The fleet will consist of 70 bikes which are due to be showcased at a conference today in the capitals County Hall. Weekly registration costs £5 with an option to purchase an annual membership for just £18. Members are provided with 30 minutes of free use for each hire period and charged an hourly rate thereafter.

Presently there are over a quarter of a million registered users worldwide that make over 50,000 rides per day. The distance travelled each day by riders is said to be enough to go around the world 5 times.