A new cycle hire scheme is due to launch across the West Midlands next year.
The operator of London’s Santander Cycles has been appointed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to offer bikes for hire in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall from next spring.
Contractor Serco will initially provide 1,500 bikes for hire, of which 10% will be e-bikes. The pedal cycles will all have three gears to cope with the hilly parts of the region and fitted with laser safety lights that project an image of a bicycle 5m in front of the bike.
The bikes are manufactured in Stratford-upon-Avon by Pashley Cycles, which also work with Serco to provide the bikes for London and Edinburgh. Supporting technology will be provided by British micromobility operator Beryl who also work with Serco in London.
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. The plastic mouldings for the bikes and docks are made in Telford by LVS.
Following a link-up with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, the scheme will be launched with a limited trial in the town in February 2021, followed by a full public launch across the West Midlands from March. Up to eight docking stations are to be installed in key locations around the town centre including the edge of Sutton Park.
TfWM has agreed a five-year contract to offer more people the opportunity cycle and provide an alternative to the car for shorter journeys.
Work is currently underway with partner councils to find sites for 170 fixed docking stations across the region. There will also be some virtual geo-fenced docking areas that can be moved to meet demand or for large scale events such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “We know from our surveys that many people would love to take up cycling. But some are put off by safety fears and for them we have a growing network of safe cycle routes.
“And this new West Midlands Cycle Hire will offer a more affordable alternative to buying a bike and give more people the opportunity to try cycling and contribute to improving our air quality and easing traffic congestion.”
Serco said it expects the scheme to create up to 25 new local jobs supporting the operation and maintenance of the bikes.
Beryl will provide the full technology platform for the service, including the rider app and GPS connectivity on the bike, which will integrate with the Swift travel card system, enabling customers to use their Swift accounts to hire bikes in the West Midlands, a first for a major UK bike share scheme.
The scheme is being set up with £5m from TfWM’s Transforming Cities Fund, with ongoing costs covered by rental income and commercial sponsorship.Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council is contributing £61,000 towards the running costs of the Sutton Coldfield scheme.
