A brand new bike and e-bike share scheme has hit the streets of Worcester today, boosting access to sustainable transport and contributing towards cutting traffic congestion, while boosting air quality and public health.
Operated by UK-based shared sustainable transport providers, Beryl, in partnership with Worcester City Council, the scheme will comprise 175 e-bikes and 50 pedal bikes. These will be available to hire from a network of 53 Beryl Bays.
A special launch event was held today in Cathedral Square, with representatives from Beryl and the council on hand to answer questions, offer help and advice and provide test rides, giveaways and discount codes to people.
The project is part of a £4.5 million investment in Active Travel under the Worcester Town Investment Plan, which is grant funded by the Government's Towns Fund.
Beryl CEO and co-founder Phil Ellis, said: "We're extremely delighted to be launching our bikes and e-bikes in Worcester, a city with a clear and exciting vision to promote sustainable travel.
"We have a proven track record of working in partnership with major cities and in consultation with communities and key stakeholders to deliver successful schemes that play a crucial role in integrated urban transport systems.
"Our bikes and e-bikes are not only good for the environment, they're also fun, convenient, easy to use and cost-effective, removing the need for vehicle ownership expenses such as fuel, tax, MOT, storage and maintenance.
"We hope that, from the launch today, the scheme will encourage as many people as possible to adopt more sustainable long-term transport habits."
Worcester City Council's Corporate Director for Finance and Resource, Shane Flynn said: "We are delighted to be supporting this scheme which is being funded through the Government's Town Investment Plan.
"The Beryl bike and e-bike share scheme will provide a convenient and environmentally friendly way of travelling around the city, fulfilling the Council's commitment to Active Travel whilst helping to reduce traffic and improve air quality."
The Beryl Rider Report 2023, an annual survey of over 3000 riders and non-riders undertaken across multiple scheme areas last September, showed the positive impact of providing multiple modes of sustainable transport. 64% of riders that used both Beryl bikes and e-bikes said they had been riding more often or much more often since signing up - more than any other combination. Of those that just used bikes, 49% said they had been riding more often or much more often since signing up.
The report also found that convenience was the most important factor to respondents when deciding to sign up, with 97% citing it as either important or very important.
Since the launch of the first Beryl bike share scheme in 2019, their bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-cargo bikes have generated over seven million rides, across more than twenty million kilometres, the equivalent of 507 journeys around the Earth. Feedback shows that, on average, around a quarter of these journeys have directly replaced a car, van, motorbike or taxi journey.
This has had a significant impact on air quality, saving nearly 700 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions according to industry calculations.
The schemes have also generated nearly 2.7 million hours of physical activity, which is proven to benefit both physical and mental health.
Beryl e-bikes are a really fun and versatile way to travel and their extra power can really open up areas, enabling riders to tackle hills and undertake longer journeys. They're also great for commuting, allowing people to arrive at work clean and ready to go, and for carrying heavier loads such as shopping.
You can hire a Beryl bike or e-bike through the Beryl app, available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users.
For more information on Beryl, visit beryl.cc
