Coventry’s West Midlands Cycle Hire (WMCH) scheme has been expanded to cover Coventry Railway Station and the University of Warwick campus.
This sees an additional 75 bikes and nine new docking stations made available to users. Seven of these are on the university site with the remaining two outside the Visitor Information Hub at Coventry Railway Station and at Starley Gardens on Cox Street.
It means that visitors, staff and students returning after their summer breaks will not only be able to hire bikes for trips around the campus, but also use them for a longer commute to and from the city centre. There are already 23 docking stations available in Coventry.
And to mark the return to work, school, college and university after the summer break WMCH has a new region wide early morning offer available from 06 September. This will see the £1 unlock fee waived for users between 6am and 11am leaving only the 5p per minute fee.
WMCH has been rolled out in eight locations covering town and city centres across the region since March with over 100,000 journeys taken to date. It has been developed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), in partnership with local councils.
TfWM has been collaborating with the University of Warwick on the Future Transport Showcase under which a variety of environmentally friendly modes of transport are being trialled – including e-scooters, demand-responsive buses and electric car clubs.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry Council, said: “I’m pleased that Coventry is unique in the region and leading the way with the uptake of the scheme. These extra cycle docks will make it easier for visitors, workers and students to get from the railway station to both university campuses, as well as to City of Culture events and this weekend‘s Godiva Festival in War Memorial Park.”
The scheme is run by Serco – the operator of London’s Santander Cycles – using bikes, docks and locks manufactured in the West Midlands. The on-street docks are being made by Universal Fabrications in Nuneaton, while the locking system is produced by Coventry based RDM Group and PHA Europe in West Bromwich.
Investment in cycling facilities is a key part of the region’s plan to provide more alternatives to cars for shorter journeys around busy towns and cities with a view to reducing congestion, improving air quality and helping the region achieve its 2041 net zero-carbon target.
