More Canberrans will be able to access electric bikes, with a library service of the transport option being extended.
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Canberra's Electric Bike Library, which was set up in September last year, will continue for another 12 months, following a surge in demand.
Participants of the scheme had been able to loan an electric bike for free for a two-week period to see if the bike fit into their lifestyle, before deciding if they wanted to purchase one for themselves.
Several hundred Canberrans have already participated in the trial so far, with 82 per cent of users indicating they would purchase an electric bike in the future and 37 per cent buying one almost immediately after their loan period.
Due to the long waiting lists for people to loan a bike from the library, the borrowing period will be reduced from 14 to eight days.
Emissions Reduction Minister Shane Rattenbury said the e-bike library trial had already reduced up to 50 kilometres of car trips a week per person.
"The most popular trips have been to the shops and to schools, and that demonstrates how, with those journeys, people can see an alternative, and not need a second car in the house," Mr Rattenbury said.
"It showed the bikes can be used for a range of alternatives to save on parking fees and fuel costs and to reduce pollution and congestion in Canberra."
It's estimated 60 per cent of the ACT's greenhouse gas emissions come from transport, and Mr Rattenbury said the e-bike library had been a successful way of encouraging more people to take up the transport.
"There's the added benefit of getting outdoors and being healthy as well, both for the individual and the community," he said.
"There's been a lot of underlying demand there."
As well as one person bikes, the e-bike library also includes options for the loan of cargo bikes, which can fit goods or small passengers onboard.
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With the library being extended, further come-and-try days were being rolled out, being held each Friday at the Downer shops for people to test the bikes for up to 10 minutes at a time.
Canberra organisation See-Change is behind the electric-bike library initiative, and its executive officer Brook Clinton said people seeing more e-bikes out on the road would only encourage further interest.
"The rate of interest we're seeing with people wanting to borrow bikes has been steady, we had a couple of hundred people trying out the bikes last year, and we're expecting to get through similar numbers this year," she said.
Canberran Lucy Hopkins has been using an electric-bike for the past three years, using it to go to the shops or to help take her two children, Lily and Alma, to school.
"Basically, we just use it in lieu of a second car unless we have a long-distance trip coming up," Ms Hopkins said.
"The electric bikes are great because we're able to get out in nature more and not always be trapped in the car.
"It costs about the same as a year of rego on a car, so we thought the investment was a good one."
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