Ride-sharing operator Lime has launched a fleet of its Gen4 e-bikes in Derby in a deal which will see the council invest more funds into improving local cycling infrastructure.
First confirmed last December, the initial launch will see 150 e-bikes rolled out across the East Midlands city, with Lime set to add 400 further machines at a later date. In total, 550 e-bikes will be rolled out across the city, which will be made available at no cost to council.
Lime hopes the new e-bikes will give Derby residence access ‘to more affordable travel choices, while also reducing pollution and congestion’.
Derby’s e-bike rental scheme was previously run by Hourbike. The firm rolled out a fleet of electric bikes in June 2018 before closing the scheme down a year later due to its machines being vandalised.
Derby City Council launched a new tender process in July this year, with Lime becoming the new operator in the city.
Derby City Council is planning to reinvest the funding secured from the Department for Transport - which has originally been allocated to the e-bike scheme - to support cycling infrastructure within the city.
Lime’s Gen4 e-bike has a range of 64km (39 miles), with swappable batteries which are monitored by the firm, helping to keep the e-bikes on the streets for longer. It also gets front and rear lights and a phone holder to allow riders to easily navigate and follow directions.
"By launching our e-bike service in Derby, we become one step closer to meeting net zero targets, while providing residents with alternative methods of sustainable transport," said Lime public affairs manager, Alice Pleasant.
"We hope, as the scheme develops, to see more people around the country adopting Lime’s vehicles and enjoying the benefits that cycling can bring.”
Lime’s e-bikes will be available for hire via the Lime app, costing £1 to unlock and then 17p per minute. The firm will offer 50% off the cost of e-bike ride for lower income residents via the Lime Access programme.
Commenting on the launch, Derby City Council's director of transport, Verna Bayliss said: "E-bikes are a brilliant alternative travel option, providing citizens with a clean, convenient and cheaper way to travel around the city centre.
"The launch of the e-bike service takes us another step closer towards our goal to become Carbon Neutral by 2035 and provide citizens with a greater range of transport options. Our teams have worked closely with Lime to bring the e-bikes to key locations within the city centre whilst also making sure that they will be properly parked and used safely.”
The Lime e-bike scheme will run alongside the firm’s approved e-scooter trial which is run by Wind Mobility.
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