Beryl bike hire scheme launches in Bradford
A similar scheme is already operating in neighbouring Leeds
A NEW bike hire scheme has officially been launched in Bradford, and will allow people to access bikes at dozens of prominent locations in the district.
People can hire one of 200 electric powered Beryl Bikes via a phone app – unlock it from a docking bay, pay per minute and return the bike to any other free docking bay.
The scheme is run by Beryl – which operates similar schemes in Leeds and Manchester – and is sponsored by LNER.
Bradford Council has contributed around £800,000 in funding from the Clean Air Zone to help set up the scheme.
There are currently docking stations at sites including Norfolk Gardens, Broadway, Bradford Cathedral, Forster Square Retail Park, Horton Park, BRI, Lister Park, Sunbridge Road, North Parade, Shipley Town Centre and Saltaire.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive for Healthy People and Places, said: “It is good for sustainability, it contributes to health and wellbeing and keeps our air clean.
“It is great for people coming into Bradford by train or bus – people can hop on a bike to continue their journey.
“We’re seeing a lot more cyclists in the city and there is more infrastructure for cyclists. It’s great for people living and working in the city as well as the tourist offer as well.”
Beryl currently operates similar schemes in Leeds, Manchester and Brighton.
Asked whether they expect a high level of use after the launch, Philip Ellis, CEO of Beryl, said: “It oftens takes a bit of time to get established, but we’ve launched at the right time of year as the weather starts to improve.
“People use the bikes for a whole mix of reasons. There are people who use them after they arrive in the city by train or bus, a lot of students use the bikes, we’ve seen that in Manchester and Leeds.
“Some people just hire them for a bit of fun.
“We find there are two main groups of people who use them. You have cyclists who may not have their bike when they go to the office or go to play football and decide to rent these.
“And surveys we’ve done show there are a lot of lapsed cyclists who haven’t cycled for five years or more.
“We’re launching at 26 locations today, and that number should double very soon.”
Asked about the potential that bikes could be stolen or vandalised, he said: “When you are launching anything into the public realm there is a possibility it will be targeted for vandalism – it goes with the territory.
“The bikes do have the latest in security features like remote wheel locking.” He said the bikes were also all GPS tracked, adding: “We’ve made it as difficult as possible for someone to steal these bikes.
“If you don’t park the bike back in a docking station you face an additional fine.”
As the scheme progresses, the Beryl team will be able to track which areas are most popular with users, and this could lead to more docking stations in popular areas.
David Flesher, Commercial Director at LNER, said: “Expanding our e-bike partnership with Beryl into Bradford represents an important milestone for LNER.
“The introduction of the LNER Bradford Beryl Bikes further strengthens our commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2045, while providing a greener, more convenient way for people to travel across this vibrant and growing city. Following Bradford’s fantastic Year of Culture, we remain committed to supporting the city’s continued growth and helping more people experience all it has to offer.”
There are different payment options for the scheme – The first tier is ‘PAYG’ (pay as you go), at £0.16 per minute, with a £1 unlock fee for flexibility and spontaneous trips.
The second is ‘Minutes Bundles’ and ‘Passes’, which are intended for regular users and commuters.
These are available in 50, 100, and 200-minute increments, as well as a Day Pass. Finally, students will receive a 25 per cent discount on all passes and bundles.
To use the e-bikes, riders must download the Beryl app.
More information, including tariffs and how to sign up, is available on the Beryl Bradford Webpage. Users can use the code LNER20 for free 20 minutes.