Chris Lyttle MLA said: “After seeing the efforts of the cyclists at the Olympics and the Tour de France, I know many people have been inspired to cycle more and these announcements will hopefully facilitate this increased interest in cycling.
“With both Dublin and London already showing how successful similar schemes can be, it is not before time that we have our own public hire bike scheme.
“Cycling is a great way to stay in shape and would help reduce traffic congestion which has worsened in the past few years.
“I welcome this announcement but the fact remains that we need to ensure that there are enough cycle lanes and other infrastructure in place for people to feel safe to cycle around our streets. We also need to see a change in motorists’ attitudes towards cyclists.”
ENDS