Since their emergence in the 1960s, public bicycle systems (also known as bicycle-sharing systems, or bike-share) now operate in more than 730 cities worldwide, on five continents. These systems usually operate in the commercial district or central city, where there are multiple desirable destinations and a mobility pattern of short, local trips to and from public transport interchanges. Pricing encourages these utility or commuter trips.

In 2013 the City of Cape Town commissioned a study to assess the feasibility of such a public bicycle system in the central city and Waterfront areas, with the deliverable of “a guideline to achieve a self-sustainable operational bicycle rental/sharing system model that would be suitable/feasible and serve the city.”

The final document can be found on Transport for Cape Town’s website, and my independent later publication here.