Glasgow announces when its major bike hire fleet will go all-electric as Voi takes over from nextbike
A total of 1,000 powered rental cycles to be available at 100 locations across Scotland’s largest city
Glasgow’s long-established bike hire scheme is to go all-electric from around November 10.
The move from predominantly traditional cycles will come when operator Voi Technology takes over the contract from nextbike by TIER, the city council announced in Thursday.
It comes six weeks after Voi launched a bike hire scheme in Edinburgh on behalf of the city council after a gap of four years, initially with 50 cycles.
Voi has not published its Glasgow hire rates, but in Edinburgh riders are charged 11p a minute, £2.99 for 45 minutes, £5.99 for one hour over three days, £11.99 for two hours over seven days, or £29.99 for five hours over a month.
Glasgow’s 1,200-cycle nextbike scheme, which was launched in 2014, will continue until October 31.
Then, after a gap of around ten days, the first of at least 1,000 brand new Voi electric bikes will become available.
A city council spokesperson said: “While there may be a brief period of reduced availability at the very start of the roll-out, the transition will be swift, with Voi's new scheme expected to be fully operational by mid-November.”
Like nextbike, Voi’s bikes will be hired via an app with pay-as-you-go, day passes and monthly subscriptions available.
As in Edinburgh, two models will be available, with bikes stationed at more than 100 marked, but dockless zones, which are locked and unlocked via the app.
Voi will offer the lighter, zippier, gearless Explorer Light 1, and the Explorer 4, which has a comfier saddle, larger luggage basket and two gears, making it better for longer rides.
The Swedish firm, which won a contract for up to five years, will hope to build on the previous scheme’s success, which has attracted more than 280,000 riders who have made nearly three million trips.
The council said riders with remaining credit on their nextbike account could have it refunded by contacting nextbike’s customer service team on 020 8166 9851 or emailing [email protected].
A council official had previously confirmed the pricing structure would change so users were charged "minute by minute", rather than having to hire a bike for 30 minutes.
Pay-as-you-go, daily passes and monthly subscriptions will all be available. Customers will be able to hire bikes by using the Voi app and adding payment details before riding.
The dockless model under the new scheme will allow for the electric hire bikes to be parked in designated on-street zones rather than fixed stations. Non-electric bikes will no longer be provided under the change in operator.
A report published by the local authority said: “As the largest city in Scotland, with a population in the region of 635,130, the council considers that there remains scope for the provision and development of the current MACH [mass automated cycle hire] scheme within Glasgow’s environs.
“The council recognises the significant role cycling plays in reducing emissions and congestion by offering a healthy and efficient alternative for short journeys.
“By promoting bike usage, the scheme not only supports environmental goals, but also encourages a healthier lifestyle. Therefore, the council is eager to expand the current scheme and encourage further growth.”
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