Dublin City Council, the National Transport Authority, Coca-Cola and JCDecaux have announced that the Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes scheme will enable new and existing bike share members to use the service using just one smart card – their LEAP Card.

While this initiative won’t allow people to pay for their Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes trips from their LEAP Card account, it will allow them to hold their registration details for both schemes on the one card, cutting back on the requirement to carry an additional card in their wallets or purses. The customer account for Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes will continue to be the source for payment for annual memberships and 3-day ticketing and for each bike trip taken which incurs a cost.

Associating a LEAP Card so that it can be used with Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes is very simple for both an existing or new member of the bike share scheme:

• Existing bike-share members just need to log in to their account at dublinbikes.ie and follow the on-screen instructions to associate a LEAP Card with their existing account;

• New members simply log on to dublinbikes.ie where they will be requested to choose either LEAP Card or Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes membership card. They will be taken through a number of easy to follow steps after which, their LEAP Card needs to be validated for use at any one of the 101 stations across the city.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr said, “this will make it very easy and convenient for new and existing bike share members, to easily link with other modes of public transport. I have no doubt this will prove to be an attractive feature for commuters who want to use the one card to link their bike journeys with other sustainable public transport services, at various connection points across the city.”

Anne Graham, Chief Executive NTA said : “Being able to use LEAP Card across multiple transport modes has proved to be a big draw for commuters with over one million cards sold since its launch five years ago.  Adding the customer ID for Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes to the LEAP Card should make people’s journeys around town a little easier; with the bike scheme accessible on the Leap Card, people will have one less card to carry around.”

Ronan Farren, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Ireland said, “We’re delighted to be joining Dublin City Council, the National Transport Authority and JCDecaux to make this announcement today. The Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes scheme continues to enjoy huge popularity and is one of the most successful bike schemes in the world, with more than 64,000 subscribers and 16.3 million journeys taken since the scheme came into being in 2009. Innovations that make using the scheme easier and more convenient for people are to be welcomed. We hope that this move, which further integrates the city’s public transport system, will enable those who haven’t tried the scheme yet to give it a go.”

Joanne Grant, Managing Director JCDecaux said, “Coca-Cola Zero dublinbikes is already an overwhelming success and an excellent demonstration of the JCDecaux city partnership model.  We are very pleased to have worked with the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council to deliver this initiative which will broaden the appeal of the scheme and make it accessible to more people.”