Edinburgh cycle hire scheme to expand to south of city with more e-bikes
Edinburgh’s cycle hire scheme is to expand to the south of the city with an increased number of e-bikes.
Since launching at the beginning of September, the scheme run by Voi has seen over 75,000 individual trips by nearly 14,000 riders, covering a total of more than 200,000 kilometres.
Now the boundary of the scheme will be extended south to include Cameron Toll and Blackford, Roseburn, Bruntsfield, Morningside, Merchiston and Edinburgh University’s King’s Buildings. .
And the number of e-bikes available under the scheme will increase to 480, with a further 120 ready to be added in the week beginning Monday December 15, subject to demand.
The council said it would continue to monitor the scheme with Voi and the scheme remained on track for full coverage of the city in the coming months.
After starting in the city centre in September with 50 e-bikes and gradually increasing to 100, phase two of the scheme launched on October 31 with the fleet increased to 340 and the boundary expanded into Leith, Meadowbank and Newhaven.
The latest, phase three, expansion starts from tomorrow evening, Wednesday December 10.
City transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m very pleased that we’re moving to the next phase of our fantastic cycle hire scheme. The impressive uptake figures we've recorded, showing hundreds of daily journeys across the city, clearly demonstrate the scheme's popularity and success.
“I’m confident that the scheme will continue to thrive, and before long everyone in the Capital will be able to enjoy this convenient, economical, and environmentally friendly mode of transport.
"Our dedication to improving the city for everyone is further underlined by our bold City Mobility Plan and our serious approach to tackling the climate emergency."
And James Bolton, General Manager for Voi in the UK, said: “We’re so pleased Edinburgh is embracing Voi’s affordable, easy and pollution-free addition to the city’s transport system.
“We expect this expanded area may be busier with students heading to class across the southside. Knowing this, we’re taking a cautious and flexible approach to the rollout.
“Working with the council, we’ve carefully chosen parking spots, recognising the busy nature of pavements. We’ve also included parking locations along the City Centre West to East cycle route that connects Roseburn with the city centre and Leith so that more people can enjoy this convenient route.”
Voi said it had sought input from residents on parking, and had already received over 350 suggested parking locations since launching. It said it was working with the council to manage demand for parking responsibly.
“Riders must park in the designated parking areas shown in the Voi app. The app also provides a photo of each parking location and guidance on responsible parking. Riders who do not use the designated spaces or who park improperly may receive a warning, and repeat offenders can be fined or even banned.”
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