Grocery shopping by bicycle? Bixi making it easier with new line of trailers
For those who need to schlep groceries or transport gardening essentials but don't have a car or don't want to use one, Bixi is offering a new service as of Monday: bicycle trailers for rent.
In what it says is a world first among bike-sharing services, Bixi announced it will roll out 50 bike trailers by the end of this summer that can be rented by the hour and attached to any bicycle, Bixi or otherwise, for use. The first 10 were to be installed Monday at Bixi docking stations around the city.
The cost of rental is $4 for four hours for members, and $8 for four hours for non-members, plus taxes. After four hours it costs an additional 20 cents a minute. Trailers can be returned to any docking station after use.
'It came in response to the requests of Montrealers who told us they wanted to be able to transport bulkier items or their groceries,' said Pierre-Luc Marier, director of communications. 'So now people will be able to transport shopping items or baseball equipment or something they bought on Facebook Marketplace.'
The trailers took two years to develop and can hold up to 50 kilograms of stock. Children and pets are not permitted. They can be found by using the Bixi app and will probably be parked at docks next to high-traffic shopping areas like the Jean-Talon and Atwater markets and close to the train station for those who might want to carry their suitcases.
Once removed from a dock, they attach to the seat post of a bicycle with a clamping system. A lock is built into the trailer so it can be secured while running errands.
Bixi plans to install another 100 trailers each summer until the end of 2028 for a total of 350 throughout the city.
In its communiqué, Bixi states 'the trailer has been optimized to withstand the intensive use and urban realities of Montreal,' which presumably means it has been designed to weather potholes. Time will tell.
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