Mayor launches region-wide cycle scheme
Commuters across the West Midlands will soon be able to commute to work for £30 a year, thanks to a new “smart” cycle scheme launched on Tuesday by Transport for West Midlands.
Bike-sharing provider Nextbike, who has more than 150 schemes in 25 countries, will bring 5,000 bikes to the region, and the scheme is expected to generate 50 jobs, including area managers, van drivers and mechanics.
The first 2,000 bikes will be available to rent from September this year in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, in the largest bikeshare scheme of its kind outside of London. The remaining 3,000 will be rolled out in Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Solihull next year.
The bikes will have seven gears, and a rear light that stays on when the cyclist stops. They are “smart” because the technology is fixed onto the bike, meaning there will be less disruption installing the bike docking stations, which will be located around “key sites” in the cities.
The bikes will be available 24 hours a day, and each one will be checked once a week, and serviced monthly. There will be several ways to hire them, including via the Nextbike app, by going online to get a pin number, or scanning a Swift customer card.
In addition to the £30 annual membership, customers can pay for the time they use and will receive the first 30 minutes free if they sign up to Whim – a new smart travel service launching in the Midlands next month. The bike can be temporarily parked and locked, but charges will continue until it is docked in a station.
West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, says the bikes are “a very solid, chunky construction,” and that people should feel “very confident” riding them. He says the scheme will be good for the city, but that infrastructure needs to keep up.
“Hopefully, the scheme will move more people to use bikes, and it’s greener, better for health, and convenient. Hopefully it’s a positive step.
“The scheme has to complement investment in cycling infrastructure in the city. What has to happen in terms of dedicate cycle routes is part of this overall approach to cycling”.
Nextbike’s UK managing director, Julian Scriven, says the bikes are made to be as inclusive as possible.
“The bikes have a low centre of gravity, which is very important for inexperienced cyclists because it makes them feel stable. And people with a height of between 4 ft 10 to 6ft 9 will find bike frame appropriate,” he says.
“I was brought up in the West Midlands, and when I joined Nextbike, I thought, ‘We need to get this in the West Midlands,’ because it’s the last part to glue together public transport.
“I’m convinced it will be a roaring success,” Scriven says.
Nextbike is currently running a “very successful” scheme with the University of Warwickshire, but Scriven says the new scheme could be even more successful.
