RIDE & PARK

We salute and welcome the idea of allowing cyclist to rent a bike from one station and return to another station along the PCN.

No need to backtrack anymore.

For example, now I can get my family and friends to cycle from Sun Plaza (Tampines), return the bike at Changi Beach Car Park 1 and have a nice breakfast at Changi Village.

We hope that it would be a success and this will encourage more people to get up from their throne and take up cycling on a recreational basis and get themselves healthy and fit.

This is what is reported in the ST on 20th March 2009.

The Straits Times - "No need to backtrack to return rental bike," by Maria Almenoar, 10 March 2009.

A NEW spin on recreational cycling has hit the four connected parks on the East Coast. Six new bicycle rental kiosks strung out along the bike paths now allow cyclists to pick up and drop off their rented wheels at any of these pit stops. Bye bye to the need to backtrack to the kiosk from which the bicycle was rented, as is the required practice with bike rental stations now.

The National Parks Board (NParks) awarded the tender to run the new service to Lifestyle Recreation, a company which has been renting out bicycles and in-line skates at the East Coast Park since 2001. Its kiosks can be found at East Coast Park Area C, East Coast Park Area G, Changi Beach Park Area Car Park 1, Sun Plaza Park, Changi Beach Park Car Park 7 and Telok Kurau Park. Two more may be set up in the Bedok and Pasir Ris town parks.

Rental rates are comparable to other rental outlets in the area - $5 an hour for a bike and $10 an hour for a tandem bicycle. A cyclist needs to produce his or her identity card to rent a bike.

Lifestyle Recreation is also looking into providing an all-day service in which a cyclist picks up a bike and can return it even after the rental stations have closed for the day. A cyclist who plans on returning the bike late first books and pays for the rental online. A bicycle number and code to the bicycle lock is then sent to him in a text message.

Ms Susanna Tay, Lifestyle Recreation's managing director, said: 'When NParks opened the new park connectors, we knew that cyclists did not want to be restricted on where they could ride, so this is a value-added service we can provide. 'She added that the company may allow the same rental arrangement for in-line skates if there is a demand.

Photographer Alex Wee, 35, who heads to East Coast Park every two months for cycling, is now game to explore the East Coast's four parks. He said: 'Usually you don't get to cycle far and see much because you have to backtrack to return the bicycle. They should consider having a public transport link at either end as well.'

Posted by Changi Cycling Group