FOUR IRISH CITIES may be getting a public bikes scheme similar to the popular Dublin scheme.

A series of meetings are due to take place in Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway over the next two weeks to gauge support for the scheme from interested stakeholders.

The first will take place in City Hall in Cork next Monday.

A key part of the meetings will be to determine how the scheme could be funded. It is not yet known whether outdoor advertising, which helped to fund the dublinbikes scheme, would play a role in the four cities.

“The viability of a public bikes scheme depends on involvement by the local community,” said Cork South Central Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer. He said: “Companies have reduced their advertising spend which could mean the same structure will not be as successful in the current climate.”

A report by the National Transport Authority into the feasability of such a scheme across the four Irish cities suggested alternative models for funding, including selling the naming rights or holding a sponsorship competition.

The NTA feasability study also suggested that Cork would have the largest demand for such a scheme and would  initially need about 235-265 bikes to cater for an estimated 2,250 subscribers.

The cost for the scheme to be rolled out in the four cities is estimated to be €6.4 million.

The public bikes scheme in Dublin has proved to be one of the most successful bike share rental schemes in the world with over 55,000 subscribers and over two million journeys since it was launched in September 2009.