Birmingham City Council has secured funding to roll-out e-bikes in partnership with local organisations, to help increase cycling provision for vulnerable people and the wider community.
The council applied for funding through the Department for Transport’s (DfT) E-Cycle Extension Fund in December 2020, with almost £1.5m made available to nine local authorities through the fund. Birmingham is now set to receive £199,000.
Cycling minister Chris Heaton Harris, said: “As we build back greener from the pandemic, this government is committed to enabling as many people as possible to boost their health and fitness and help reduce emissions by hopping on a bike and taking up cycling for shorter journeys.
“This announcement will help make this happen, with a total of £1.48m going towards fantastic initiatives in areas right across the country to promote the use of e-cycles. So, whether you’re new to cycling, or would like to try a cycle that does some of the legwork for you, these initiatives will help more people to have access to active forms of travel.”
The Active Wellbeing Society is set to receive nine e-bikes for their ‘cycling on prescription’ scheme. According to the project, it links the use of e-bikes to health benefits, working with local GP surgeries to provide people with long-term health conditions cycle training and bikes to help with their physical and mental wellbeing.
E-Bike Brum, based in Erdington are also set to receive six e-bikes which will be leased to people in deprived areas of the city, who otherwise would not have access to cycling.
Midland Mencap will also receive four adapted e-bikes to expand its city-wide park ride cycling provision for disabled users and their families.
Birmingham’s bicycle mayor, Chris Coyle, added: “It’s great to see that this funding will be used to support cycling provision for harder to reach groups including those with long-term health benefits, specific mobility requirements, and low incomes.”
Additionally, some of the funding will also be used to provide 16 e-bikes to the West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme in Birmingham, increasing the fleet size by 20%.
