HumanForest, an electric bike (e-bike) operator, has officially launched in the London boroughs of Kingston and Sutton.
HumanForest claims to have seen a strong uptake in its services across London, which it attributes in part to its offer of 10 minutes of free cycling per day and its Treecoin points-based loyalty programme.
The company has reported more than one million rides during the past year, with bikes powered by 100% renewable energy.
Both Kingston and Sutton have ambitions to make cycling more accessible in the two boroughs, with HumanForest commenting that their rental service reduces a significant financial barrier to more people getting on bikes.
Ian Manders, councillor for Kingston and portfolio holder for environment and sustainable transport, said:
“Kingston Council is promoting ‘active’ travel to help improve local peoples’ health and ensure a greener future.
“Cooperating with HumanForest to promote their e-bikes supports these objectives.
“The launch of the new e-bike hire scheme in Kingston, with Sutton, offers local sustainable travel to more residents.
“These e-bikes should encourage people who don’t want to ‘sweat it out’ on an ordinary ‘push’ bike, but still want the door-to-door convenience of cycling and green travel.
“In this cost of living crisis, this shows that being green can also mean being lean”.
In partnership with the local authorities, HumanForest has deployed 80 virtual parking bays across the two areas, which are shown in the HumanForest app as ‘Green Bays’.
The idea behind Green Bays is to encourage mindful rider behaviour, namely avoiding the obstruction of pavements and keeping space clear for pedestrians. Green Bays offer free parking, meaning a 10-minute trip ending with parking in a Green Bay would be free of charge.
