Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the expansion of its popular bike sharing scheme to five coastal towns in the north of the county. Bleeper bikes are now available in Balbriggan, Rush, Donabate, Portrane and Skerries.The scheme allows cyclists to ‘grab & go’ on a Bleeper bike. These GPS enabled bikes are easy to use with no need for complicated docking procedures. Users simply download an app and register for the service. They can then pick up any available Bleeper bike across Fingal by scanning the QR code on the bike to unlock it. Once cyclists arrive in an area where Bleeper operates (see app for full location map), they can park at any cycle parking stand near their destination and lock the bike manually using the provided bike lock. With no need for special docking stations the scheme offers maximum flexibility to cyclists with the freedom to park their bike where they need it.Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Annmarie Farrelly, says that cycling schemes like Bleeper are key to Fingal’s transport strategy. “Offering sustainable and healthy modes of ‘Active Travel’ to Fingal residents and visitors is vitally important. We live in a rapidly growing county and that can provide challenges for busy town centres. Bike sharing, and cycling in general, facilitates people visiting towns while also reducing traffic congestion. It is just one element of an overall approach to travel that gives priority to cyclists, pedestrians and public transport with an aim to make Active Travel the mode of choice for all journeys under 5km.”At the roll-out of the extended bike sharing scheme on Wednesday, David Storey, Director of Services for Environment, Climate Action and Active Travel said: “The scheme has been hugely successful since its initial launch in 2018.Hugh Cooney, CEO of Bleeper, hailed the expansion as a sign of the growing demand for cycling in Fingal: “We’ve worked closely with Fingal County Council to grow Bleeper’s coverage within the county over the past few years and we’re delighted to bring our service to a new set of communities.”Bleeper bikes are now available across Fingal in Swords, Malahide, Howth, Blanchardstown, Skerries, Balbriggan, Donabate, Portrane, Rush, Portmarnock, Sutton, Baldoyle, Castleknock, Ongar, Clonsilla and throughout the Dublin 15 area. A full list of operational locations can be found in the Bleeper app. For further information on how the scheme operates, visit bleeperactive.com (NB: not accessible through this medium)