Melbourne bike hire scheme starts

Melbourne's first public bicycle hire scheme begins, with 100 bikes available for hire from 10 stations along the city's main drag.

Fed up with Melbourne's tardy, bursting at the seams trains? Then get on your bike - or someone else's.

The city's first public bicycle hire scheme begins today in the CBD, with 100 bikes available for hire from 10 stations along the Swanston Street/St Kilda Road corridor as part of a strategy to ease Melbourne's transport gridlock.

By mid-year the five million dollar scheme will be expanded to 600 bicycles across 50 bike stations.

Subscriptions cost $50 a year, $8 a week or $2.50 a day, with the first half hour hire free and charges accruing half hourly after that.