Bicycles are an environmentally and socially responsible form of transport, and their use in conjunction with public transport should be encouraged.

Use of bikes in conjunction with public transport falls into two broad categories:

• Where the passenger rides a bike to the public transport service and locks it up
• Where the passenger takes the bike onto the service for use at the other end (currently only available on trains)

Bike lock-up

Individual bike lockers and communal bike cages are already widespread at railway stations. Surveys should be taken periodically (eg every five years) to assess whether capacity at each station is sufficient for the demand.

Also, subject to similar surveys, identical facilities should be installed at major non-rail transport interchanges, such as Doncaster Park & Ride, Domain Interchange, major shopping centres and universities.

Bike carry-on

Ideally, all Metro, Interurban and Intercity services (see glossary) should be capable of carrying bikes. Feeder services are not required to carry bikes as they are designed for short trips where bikes would be redundant. This applies whether the service is run with trains or any other type of vehicle - research should be undertaken into options for allowing the carriage of bikes on buses and trams by the following means:

• Assessing interstate and overseas experience with bike racks
• Reevaluating current regulations considering the current trend towards low-floor vehicles
• Designing devices that will help stow bikes out of the way of passengers

The needs of cycling and non-cycling passengers need to be balanced, as carry-on bikes can be inconvenient to other passengers under certain circumstances.