Benidorm Green Bikes

165,000 litres of petrol

Benidorm is to follow the lead of Denia and San Vicente del Raspeig by introducing a new, free system of bicycles. It's part of a promotion by the Valencian Energy Agency to encourage alternative forms of transport and save on petrol use. Together with Benidorm council they'll be investing €240,000 on the purchase and running of 300 bikes which they reckon will save around 165,000 litres of petrol per year.

It's a kind of 'hop on, hop off' system with 10 bike parks around the town. Users have an electronic card which records when and where a bike is taken and when it is returned to another park by a centralised control office in the town hall. If people can just grab a bike for short journeys rather than use the car it will also help the atmosphere as there'll be about 400 tons of carbon dioxide less in the air.

The bike parks will be located at the following strategic points:
The town hall, Plaza del Torrechó, Avenida Europa, Avenida Ametlla de Mar, bus station, tram station, Parque de Elche, calle Mercado, Polideportivo de Foietes and el Palau dels Esports L'Illa de Benidorm.
Happy cycling

26 February 2009 Stephen White.

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