Bike share on campus

From the end of July, your trips around campus can become even easier, quicker, and healthier. A new bike share scheme, starting from only $1.30 for half an hour, will cover the whole ANU Acton campus, together with the city centre and Parliamentary Zone, with a fleet of 200 dockless bikes as part of a six month trial.

The bikes can be used for return or one-way trips without having to be returned to a docking station. Users are encouraged to leave the bikes in areas that do not cause a disturbance or inconvenience for the public, with preference next to existing bicycle hoops. The provider Airbike, the Australian-owned and operated company, will monitor their fleet and take action if bikes are left in inappropriate or unsafe areas, and will move bikes back to a more appropriate location.  

How to find an available bike

Bikes will be distributed across campus from Monday 30 July. Simply download the app on your phone, turn on device location and find the nearest bike on the map. Airbike will endeavour to distribute more bikes to the busiest areas of campus, such as the Pop-Up village or other vibrant parts of the University, to ensure that everyone can take advantage of the bikes. However, the share bikes usage is not restricted to campus only – they are perfect means of transportation to cross over the bridge and visit the Parliamentary Zone, or for those short meetings in Civic.

Trial for six months

Even though we have all heard some not so successful stories from other cities, Airbike has collaborated directly with the ACT Government, the National Capital Authority and ANU on this project, to ensure the successful introduction of another sustainable and convenient transport option for Canberrans and visitors. The scheme is introduced as a smaller-range six-month trial that, if successful, could possibly bring more bikes and cover a larger area. Nevertheless, it is good to be reminded that the bike share scheme works best when the operator, the government and the community all work together to make sure bikes are where they are needed and where people can access them. To see how Airbike works, visit Airbikes.

Other transport options on campus

Additional to cycling, our campus is a lovely place to explore by foot, especially if you have some spare time. Download the ANU Walks app that will take you to some hidden gems of our campus. There is also a campus bicycle fleet, the Timely Treadlies, for visiting postgraduate students and scholars to the ANU. Don’t forget the Campus Traveller as well, a free shuttle bus service that provides transport to ANU staff and students on campus and to two different destinations off campus – Lindsay Pryor car park and the National Library of Australia.