Bixi back in action in Montreal

Spring is ever so slow to come to Montreal this April, but the Bixi system still lives thanks to the city taking over the reigns after the company managing it filed for bankruptcy protection in January.

Still, the question is whether the bike share system will survive beyond this current season?

One factor will be a decision by the city to accept Bixi as part of the public transport system rather than an enterprise that should be completely self-funded.

The other factors, however, relate to the dependability and usability of the overall system and its component parts. If users regularly find Bixi stations that are not working properly, such as blank touch screens, they will turn away from using Bixi.

Similarly, if the Bixi bicycles are not maintained properly this will engender a further point of frustration. Last spring I got a three day subscription and by the third day I was so fed up with Bixi as almost half of the bikes I used had some mechanical problem with them.

Finally, I think the city should re-evaluate the usage terms for Bixi. Specifically, the first sixty minutes should be included in the subscription fee instead of thirty minutes. This acknowledges the reality of the terrain and the territory of central Montreal. It will make the system more attractive to users and it should also reduce the number of movements of Bixis by truck/trailer as users will be more likely to take a Bixi from downtown back to their neighbourhood since they will not be penalized due to the uphill journey.