After the Rotorua Daily Post revealed the pilot, based at the complex on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd, Rotorua resident Tracey McLeod emailed questioning the council’s involvement, why ratepayer funds appeared to be used and who approved the funding.
In her view: “Council is not a socialist charity, so stop acting like one.”
Council infrastructure and environmental solutions director Russell George told the Rotorua Daily Post no ratepayer money was involved.
He said the council successfully sought funding from NZTA’s Transport Choices Package to cover the council’s contribution.
He said the council got involved because the bike library fitted with its work to encourage residents to use alternative modes of transport.
The Rotorua cage
Specialist fabrication company Hampden built the cage. On its website, it said it was engaged by Kāinga Ora in October.
The website said the cage was to protect a range of bikes, from children’s bikes to e-bikes, from theft and harsh weather.
According to the website, the cage is made of steel and is 5.4m by 4.8m. It has anti-climb rigid mesh, a gate with hydraulic self-closing hinges, a stainless steel anti-panic lock, a mechanical lock outside and inside the cage, and security and anti-tamper fixings.
Hampden business support manager Erin Baldwin said its brief from Kāinga Ora was to design a bike cage no one could break into.
She said the steel used was a popular choice for similar products and was hard to cut and climb.
“This is a high-security product designed to have a long life.”
A NZTA spokesperson said the final design was reached after feedback from community groups who had run similar trials in the past.
“The design was chosen to protect the initial investment made on the bikes.”
The pilot ends next month and what will happen with the bikes after that is still being decided.
The cage is on Kāinga Ora land and now belongs to Kāinga Ora.
Other bike library pilots
NZTA has run three other bike library pilots, in Auckland, Gisborne and Lower Hutt. None of those involved Kāinga Ora.
The Auckland pilot cost $169,379 and had two hubs with 16 e-bikes, Gisborne’s pilot cost $69,500 and had one hub with eight e-bikes and Lower Hutt’s pilot cost $80,000 and involved 11 e-bikes in one hub.
The NZTA spokesperson said the funding covered buying bikes, accessories, insurance, maintenance, spare parts and staff time in managing the pilot.
What residents say
There was a mixed reaction to whether the bike library was a good initiative.
NZTA urban mobility manager Kathryn King last week told the Rotorua Daily Post no bikes had gone missing but there had been “enthusiastic and sometimes rough use” of the youth bikes. Damaged bikes were removed while they were being fixed and “communication was provided to residents”, she said.
She listed several positive impacts, including tenants without cars cycling to the supermarket and work. One person used an e-bike to cycle to a job interview, got the job and began biking to work.
Bikes were also used to take children to kōhanga reo or out and about, as icebreakers between neighbours riding together, and by children going to school, sports practices and games.
Tenants told the Rotorua Daily Post teenagers, not necessarily those in the complex, started wrecking the bikes by doing wheelies, some families hogged them and some tenants missed out because the bikes were not there when it was their turn.
Another resident said they believed the bikes were a waste of money, most of the time there was no structure around their use and it was a matter of time before they would be taken advantage of.
She said her family appreciated the gesture and she had been on one group ride with other mothers, but she felt the money could have been better spent.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
