LinkBike

Last updated
LinkBike
LinkBike, George Town, Penang.jpg
A LinkBike station near Komtar in George Town.
Overview
Locale George Town, Penang
Transit type Public bicycle sharing service
Number of stations25 [1]
Headquarters Esplanade, George Town, Penang
Website www.linkbike.my
Operation
Began operation17 December 2016
Operator(s)Fast Rent Bike (PG) Sdn. Bhd.
Number of vehicles250 [1]

LinkBike is a public bicycle sharing system serving the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. [1] Launched in 2016, it is the first such system in Malaysia. [2] [3] Currently, there are 250 LinkBike bicycles and 25 stations throughout the city, including its UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as suburban places like Queensbay Mall. [1] [4]

Contents

LinkBike, which is jointly funded by the Penang Island City Council and Fast Rent Bike (PG) Sdn. Bhd, a local private limited firm, is part of the wider efforts undertaken by the Penang state government to alleviate traffic congestion within George Town, as well as to promote environmentally-friendly alternative transportation modes.

History

In August 2016, the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, announced the planned public bicycle sharing service within George Town. [5] The proposed system, an internet of things (IoT)-based initiative of the Penang Island City Council, is to be operated on a public-owned and privately managed model. [2] [6] [7] Of the RM1.85 million allocated to run the service, 90% was to be borne by the Penang Island City Council, while Fast Rent Bike (PG), which contributed the remaining 10% of the cost, would operate the system.[ citation needed ]

LinkBike was launched on 17 December 2016, with nine stations within George Town and an initial fleet of 60 bicycles. [6] [7] [8] Not only is LinkBike the first public bicycle sharing system in Malaysia, it also made George Town the first city in Malaysia to operate such a system.

LinkBike's fleet was enlarged to 250 bicycles by April 2017. [9] [10] Since its launch, LinkBike recorded a ridership figure of 3,422 as of 11 April 2017. [10] This figure rose sharply to 8,583 by 28 May. [4] [11] Simultaneously, LinkBike has been expanded to 25 stations scattered throughout George Town, covering various destinations between Gurney Drive to the north and Queensbay Mall, near Bayan Lepas, to the south. [1] [2] [7]

The Kelawei Road LinkBike station, installed in April 2017. LinkBike Kelawei, George Town, Penang.jpg
The Kelawei Road LinkBike station, installed in April 2017.

Technology

LinkBike utilises two electronic rental payment methods - the smart card and the smartphone application. [1] The smartphone app is designed as a QR code scanner and comes with a location-based GPS feature that indicates the nearest LinkBike stations, as well as the number of available bicycles at any particular station updated in real time.

Meanwhile, LinkBike's smart card can be topped up using either cash or credit card at LinkBike's office at the Esplanade. [4] [11]

Each LinkBike bicycle has been fitted with an LED-powered dynamo hub that lights up the bicycle's front and rear once motion is detected; this is intended to improve the visibility and safety of riders at night. [9]

Pricing

The first 30 minutes of each ride is free-of-charge, after which a fee of RM1 is imposed for every subsequent hour. [1]

Users can also purchase daily, weekly, monthly or annual passes, ranging from RM2 for 24 hours to RM30 for a one-year pass.

Stations

As of August 2017, 25 LinkBike stations have been installed within and around George Town, including 12 throughout the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each station has either 10 or 12 bicycle parking docks. [1]

George Town proper location map.png
Red pog.svg
GAMA
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Bishop St.
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Campbell St.
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Acheen St.
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
MWE
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
KDU
Red pog.svg
Jalan Pangkor
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Evergreen Hotel
class=notpageimage|
LinkBike stations in George Town as of August 2017. The city centre's UNESCO World Heritage Site is marked in purple.
Penang location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Summerton
class=notpageimage|
LinkBike stations on a map of Penang as of August 2017.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butterworth, Seberang Perai</span> Town in Malaysia

Butterworth is the largest urban town in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. As of 2021, Butterworth has a total population of 107,591 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukit Mertajam</span> Neighbourhood of Seberang Perai and district capital in Penang, Malaysia

Bukit Mertajam(Jawi: بوكيت مرتاجم) is the administrative centre of the city of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. As of 2010, Bukit Mertajam (core) contains a total of 13,097 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balik Pulau</span> Town and district capital in Penang, Malaysia

Balik Pulau is a town within the jurisdiction of Penang Island City Council in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the southwest of Penang Island, it is also the administrative seat of the Southwest Penang Island District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayan Lepas</span> Town in Penang, Malaysia

Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulau Tikus</span> Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of Eurasians, Thais and Burmese populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batu Kawan</span> Town in Penang

Batu Kawan is an island in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. As of 2010, Batu Kawan contained a population of 5,537.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanjung Tokong</span> Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northeastern coast of Penang Island, next to Pulau Tikus and 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the city centre. Over the recent decades, the former fishing village has been transformed into an upper class residential suburb of George Town, with high-rises such as Straits Quay lining the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Itam</span> Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Ayer Itam is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of the city centre. Ayer Itam is one of the well-known places to sample Penang cuisine, and includes a handful of major tourist attractions such as Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gelugor</span> Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jelutong, Penang</span> Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Jelutong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located south of the Pinang River, Jelutong has been inhabited since as early as the late 18th century, when traders from Aceh and India settled around the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayan Baru</span> Neighbourhood in Southwest Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Bayan Baru is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, adjacent to the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teluk Kumbar</span> Town in Penang, Malaysia

Teluk Kumbar is a town within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, at the southern coast of Penang Island between Bayan Lepas to the east and Gertak Sanggul to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sungai Nibong</span> Neighbourhood in Northeast Penang Island and Southwest Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Sungai Nibong is a residential neighbourhood near the eastern coast of Penang Island in Malaysia, about 8.6 km (5.3 mi) south of the centre of George Town, Penang's capital city. The neighbourhood, within the Northeast Penang Island and Southwest Penang Island District, was named after the rivers flowing through the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang State Museum and Art Gallery</span>

The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

The Government of Penang refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and the Constitution of the State of Penang, the supreme law in Penang. The government of Penang is based in the state's capital city of George Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seri Tanjung Pinang</span> Neighbourhood of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Seri Tanjung Pinang is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The neighbourhood, located within the Tanjung Tokong suburb, lies 4.5 km (2.8 mi) northwest of the city centre and was created on land reclaimed in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gertak Sanggul</span> Village in Penang, Malaysia

Gertak Sanggul is a village within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, at the southwestern coast of Penang Island. Gertak Sanggul is an agricultural village, with fisheries and pig farming as its economic mainstays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Penang Island</span>

Cycling in Penang Island refers to the use of bicycles in the city of George Town and elsewhere on Penang Island, Malaysia, either for recreational, touring or transportation purposes. While bicycles have long been in use in Penang, with rickshaws becoming a unique application of the pedal-driven vehicle in the state, the usage of bicycles has noticeably declined since the late 20th century due to the proliferation of cars as the main transportation mode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Maritime, Penang</span> Complex in Penang, Malaysia

The Maritime is a SOHO complex at the Jelutong suburb near the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located at Karpal Singh Drive, it consists of two residential skyscrapers, collectively named The Maritime Suites, and The Maritime Piazza, which serves as the retail component of the mixed development. It is the 32nd tallest building in Malaysia outside of Kuala Lumpur. The Maritime Suites consist of Suites A and B, which contains 36 and 40 floors of duplex SOHO suites respectively. Meanwhile, The Maritime Piazza now houses The Maritime Automall, which also includes several al fresco eateries and other retail outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Town Inner Ring Road</span> Ring road in Malaysia

George Town Inner Ring Road is an urban ring road within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It comprises the eastern end of Gurney Drive, Jalan Pangkor, Jalan Perak and Jalan Sungai Pinang, forming a loop containing the city centre. Both the old and new Central Business Districts of the city, as well as its UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located within the loop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Link Bike". www.linkbike.my. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "A ride to remember in Penang". The Sun Daily. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "Penang to be first cycling state". Buletin Mutiara. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Link Bike Card launched for bicycle-sharing system in Penang". Malay Mail. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Bike-share system in Penang next year - Community". The Star Online. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Thumbs up for bike sharing - Community". The Star Online. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 "Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang - Link Bike, Penang's NewJewel". www.penang.gov.my (in Malay). Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Thumbs up for bicycle sharing system in Penang". The Sun Daily. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  9. 1 2 Zabidi, Nor Diana. "Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang - Night Ride with Link Bike". www.penang.gov.my (in Malay). Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Cycle around George Town at night - Community | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  11. 1 2 Edmund Lee (28 May 2017). "Gambling den licences under purview of federal government: Lim". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.