1 May, 2025

Locky Docks, those colourful self locking bike racks popping up on streets all over the country have just hit 100,000 bikes parked.

Free to the public and easy to use, Locky Docks are a home grown initiative that started in Christchurch in 2020 as the country came out of the first Covid lockdown. The 100,000th bike parked happened last week at the other end of the country, outside the library in Whangarei. A testament to how the network has grown, now spanning 10 cities with scope to grow much further.

Founder, Cleve Cameron says, “It’s vindication not only for Locky Docks but also vindication for the popularity of biking in our urban centres. It’s a great proof point that when infrastructure is reliable, convenient, and free, people will use it. Now we're ready for bigger, bolder integrations with transport and urban hubs across the motu.”

The business began out of a simple insight that councils were investing significantly on cycle lanes, but had zero investment into secure places for people to park. With an estimated 10,000 bikes stolen every year, and ebikes costing upwards of $5k, Locky Docks close the loop when it comes to making active transport an actual option for most people. This includes by providing free charging for ebikes and escooters, screens that display safe cycling routes and CCTV cameras for extra security.

Mercury has been a cornerstone supporter of the initiative since day one.

Mercury Chief Sustainability Officer, Lucie Drummond says, “We’re all about supporting transport that uses Aotearoa’s homegrown electricity. It’s fantastic to see more and more people using Locky Docks as they opt for convenient and cleaner ways to get around.”

With the average urban car journey around 7km, the Locky Dock Network has helped to save almost 370 tonnes of CO (assuming users would otherwise drive) - equivalent to a forest of 16,800 mature trees sequestering for a year. An economic study in Christchurch done by Sense Partners, projects that every 100 Locky Docks delivers $320 million net social benefit over a 10 year term.

Cleve continues “The impact of the network really drives the purpose of the business. Locky Docks aren’t just infrastructure, they’re behaviour change machines, making it easier for people to switch to biking. And we can tell it’s actually working, which is fantastic.”

With the Locky Dock network now totalling 74 stations across 10 cities, there’s interest now also coming regularly from around the world, this climate positive biker gang from Auckland have ambitious plans to continue to expand across the country. And then the world. Watch this space.

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