CAPITAL BIXI HITS THE STREETS IN CANADA'S CAPITAL

OTTAWA, May 18 /PRNewswire/ - The Capital BIXI bike share service officially kicked off today. Residents and visitors in the core of Canada's Capital will have 24/7 access to 100 bikes located at 10 stations in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.

"The National Capital Commission (NCC) is proud to add another important building block to the cycling infrastructure in the core of Canada's Capital," said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer at the NCC. "The NCC has been in the cycling business for over 40 years. We've come a long way since the early 1970s and we want to go even further. The Capital BIXI service not only represents a means of active transportation but also a means to build a greener Capital for all to enjoy."

"The purpose of the program is to provide immediate access to public bikes as an alternative mode of transportation," said Alain Ayotte, President at the Public Bike System Company. "The BIXI bikes are designed to complement public transit, and as such, they are intended for one-way trips of less than 30 minutes. At the end of the trip, the bike can be dropped off at any of the 10 docking stations. We're convinced local residents and tourists will quickly embrace Capital BIXI."

PARTNERSHIPS

The NCC and the Public Bike System Company are proud to welcome TELUS as the major sponsor of the Capital BIXI bike share service.

"TELUS is thrilled to help bring easy, accessible and economical bike sharing to Canada's Capital Region with Capital BIXI," said Michael Sangster, Vice-President at TELUS. "Support for healthier cities is an important part of TELUS' 'give where we live' philosophy, which our team members live every day.  Initiatives like the Capital BIXI bike share further our mission by giving Canadians an opportunity to be good stewards of the environment while staying active in our day to day lives."

The NCC is pleased to announce that Public Works and Government Services Canada will be adding a station to the Capital BIXI network. The NCC is also in discussion with Environment Canada for stations at their buildings. The NCC looks forward to the participation of public and private organizations who are interested in providing the bike share service to their employees and their partners.

The NCC, the City of Ottawa and Ville de Gatineau continue to partner on significant cycling initiatives in Canada's Capital.

CAPITAL BIXI EXPERIENCE

Regular users can purchase a monthly ($28) or yearly ($78) Capital BIXI subscription which entitles them to a BIXI-key. Members then use their BIXI-key to take out a bike at any station in the network. Non-members can purchase a 24-hour pass ($5) or a 72-hour pass ($12) directly at the station. Users can take out a bike as often as they like for 30 minutes or less. Fees apply to longer trips, the second half-hour will cost $1.50 and the third half-hour will cost $3. General information and subscription details can be found at capital.bixi.com.

The first 100 annual subscribers will receive founding member status and a distinctive dark purple BIXI-key to access the service. Subscribers can also take advantage of a $10 discount on a monthly pass, until June 30, 2011.

About the National Capital Commission (NCC)

The NCC is a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to create pride and unity through Canada's Capital Region by making the Capital a meeting place that communicates Canada to Canadians. As the steward of federal lands, national landmarks, parks, transportation infrastructures and buildings, the NCC takes great pride in developing and planning a Capital that today's visitors will enjoy and that future generations will treasure.

About BIXI and the Public Bike System Company (PBSC)

PBSC is responsible for the implementation of the Capital BIXI service in Canada's Capital Region. PBSC offers a highly advanced bike sharing system on three continents, to private campuses and cities, such as London (UK), Melbourne (AU), Minneapolis, Washington and Arlington (USA).

About TELUS

TELUS is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.9 billion of annual revenue and 12.3 million customer connections including 7 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 350,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

For more information about TELUS, please visit TELUS.com. To learn more about TELUS' commitment to the community, please visit TELUS.com/community.

For more information regarding the bike share service Capital BIXI, please contact the Public Bike System Company at 1-855-CAP-BIXI  or 1-855-227-2494 (toll free), or visit the website at capital.bixi.com.

SOURCE BIXI - PUBLIC BIKE SYSTEM COMPANY