The Cork Cycling Campaign is looking for more stations in Cork, especially on the Northside of the city.
The National Transport Authority recently confirmed that “Approximately 100” electric bicycles are being added to TFI Bikes in Cork, an on-street bicycle sharing system.
A spokesperson for the group said: “The Cork Cycling Campaign has welcomed the arrival of electric bikes to the TFI Bike Share Scheme in Cork. It is a game-changer for everyday cycling in the city. Especially for those that are curious about cycling, so it is perfectly timed with Bike Week 2025.”
“The new e-bike fleet, announced in April and delivered now, marks a significant milestone for active mobility in Cork. The design and build quality are similar to the acoustic bikes, and the bikes pack enough power to tackle the city’s hills with ease. Something that’s expected to make cycling more accessible to a wider range of people,” the spokesperson said.
However, the campaign said that a key challenge for the bike share system in Cork is the spread and volume of stations.
A spokesperson said: “The Campaign also notes that the current station coverage remains limited, particularly on Cork’s hilly Northside. In comparison to cities like Valencia or Copenhagen, Cork still has a long way to go in terms of cycling infrastructure and station density. Campaign members hope this rollout will motivate TFI to expand the network, especially into areas where cycling uptake has been limited by accessibility to the scheme.”
The group added: “The bikes are not charged directly at the docking stations, a challenge TFI will need to manage operationally, but their presence alone is a step in the right direction.”
When the electric bicycles were added to the system recently, Andreas Saul Rotne, senior project manager at the National Transport Authority, said: The launch of e-bikes in Cork is an important step in expanding sustainable travel options for residents and visitors.”
He added: “By integrating e-bikes into the TFI Bikes scheme, we are making it easier for people to choose active, low-emission transport options for their daily journeys.”
The NTA said it plans to “expand the TFI E-Bikes initiative to Waterford, Limerick, and Galway in the coming months, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing active travel options for users nationwide.”
The NTA has tendered for a possible new bike share system. Ahead of that process starting, one major international bike share operator claimed that they are being locked out of the cities with TFI Bikes and running systems in towns alone, as a few operators are, will not make the Irish market commercially viable without also having access to cities.
IMAGE: New bike share station (Photo thanks to Denis O’Regan).
Cork cycling campaign do great work advocating cycling in Cork but I respectfully disagree a 100 ebikes for public use is a game changer in a city and suburbs of a cpl hundred thousand people.