£1m boost for bikes operator Beryl will fund expansion and recruitment
Greater Manchester Combined Authority has invested £1m into Starling Bank Bikes operator, Beryl, to expand its offering throughout the region..
It will lead to the opening of a new city centre office at Embankment and the creation of new employment opportunities for local people.
Long-term, the company’s increased presence in the city will also act as a catalyst for Beryl’s development and delivery of technological innovation.
Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “This is really exciting news for Beryl and for Manchester, a city that we know from delivering the bike share scheme has a clear vision for a sustainable future, but also a vibrant economic hub with particularly strong skillbase that a technology-led business such as ourselves can benefit from.
“The Starling Bank Bikes are already widely known for their contribution towards this vision, offering sustainable alternatives to the cars, vans, taxis and motorbikes that clog up our urban environments on a daily basis.
“However, what many don’t see is the work done by companies, such as us, to provide the development and employment opportunities that are essential to the future of a green economy.”
He added: “We acknowledge our value should transcend the provision of high quality sustainable shared transport schemes and we look forward to realising the exciting opportunities that this funding has presented to us.”
Cllr David Molyneux, GMCA lead for Resources and Investment, said: “We are pleased to be backing another business which has made a major commitment to growing its presence in Greater Manchester. Beryl is operating the cycle hire scheme which is having a positive impact on residents’ day-to-day lives, contributing to Greater Manchester’s wider active travel and sustainability ambitions.”
Launched in November 2021, the Starling Bank Bikes scheme is managed and funded by TfGM, on behalf of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and operated on a day-to-day basis by Beryl.
The scheme currently serves a wide range of employment, retail, education and leisure hubs such as the universities, the city centre and Media City with plans to expand further across the region.
The scheme currently has more than 72,000 registered users and its bikes and e-bikes have generated in excess of 624,000 journeys across more than 1.5 million km. This has had a significant impact on regional air quality by saving more than 19 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions, according to industry calculations.
