DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has issued a tender for the installation of “bike bunkers” for the city. 

According to tender documents, the estimated maximum cost for the commission, delivery, installation and service of the secure hangars excluding VAT is €10 million.

It comes after a report commissioned by the council recommended a significant expansion of a bike bunker programme in Dublin to deploy 300 of the locked bike shelters around the city by 2026.

There was positive public reaction to the pilot programme that began in 2015, which the report said demonstrated that “substantial” numbers of people wanted secure parking spaces for bicycles in the capital.

Speaking to The Journal, Green Party councillor for Cabra-Glasnevin Feljin Jose said there has been “so much demand” for the storage bunkers.

“It’s something that a lot of people have been calling for for a long time, especially in inner city areas,” Jose said.

According to the external report, which was published last year, there are currently 12 bike bunkers – which can accommodate around six bicycles each – located around Dublin city including areas such as Portobello, Stoneybatter, The Liberties and Broadstone.

They are mostly situated in quiet residential neighbourhoods with terraced houses where there are limited spaces for storing bicycles conveniently and where there is low demand for car parking permits.

The report states that most users live within 200 metres of a bike bunker. The rental fee for a single space in a bike bunker is €100 per year – twice the cost of a residential parking permit.

‘So much demand’ for bunkers

Feljin Jose said that the issue of storage can be a big deal for bike owners. 

When I was canvassing for the local election, it came up a lot on the doors around Phibsboro and Drumcondra, places near the city centre where people do own bikes and do cycle everywhere.

“They don’t have front gardens, they don’t have back gardens. They’re putting their bikes in the hallway. I saw a house in Drumcondra with four bikes in the hallway. Every second house on that road was asking me about bike bunkers.” 

He said there are also a lot of people who want to cycle but they have nowhere to store a bicycle.

“There’s a lot of things you need to do to encourage bicycling. Providing the cycling infrastructure is one thing, but providing locations for people to store a bike is also a very important element of it. I’m delighted to see it finally happening.”

The tender lists Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire County Council as participating bodies. Jose said this gives those councils the option to order from the tender. 

When asked about the €100 cost for a single space in a bunker, Jose said: “We don’t know what the cost will be during the rollout, but I do hope it’ll be cheaper than that. A parking space costs much less than that.”

The tender issued today by Dublin City Council for an initial period of one year requires a contractor for building, installing and maintaining the secure bicycle storage units. 

The contract will be for three years. Those interested have until 12pm on 13 August to submit their interest. 

The tender states that this is the first stage of the competitive procedure “whereby any interested party may submit a response to this questionnaire in order to be considered for inclusion on the tender list”.

Following evaluation, at least the top five scoring applicants will be invited to tender, should that number qualify.