Shared micromobility providers Lime are reporting a large uptake in trips taken during the hot spell at the start of May.
Boldly describing the recent warm spell, from the end of April into early May, as a ‘heatwave’ the company say they saw a 96% year-on-year increase in trips taken in London compared to the same period last year.
Lime saw their own records broken on the hottest day of the year so far – May 1st – with most trips taken on a Lime bike since 2018, when the company began operating in the city. On that day, which was a Thursday, there was a 84% jump in the number of trips when compared with the same day the previous year.
Furthermore, in a four day period during this hot spell, they recorded a 95% rise in the number of people using a Lime bike for the first time.
In their 2024 Global Impact Report, Lime revealed that in many cities, ridership doubled or even tripled in summer months compared to winter, finding that users were more likely to choose e-bikes over walking or driving for short trips when temperatures were above 18°C.
Apart from cycling on a warm day being an altogether more pleasant experience than doing so in the worst November has to throw at you, longer daylight hours are also positively correlated with higher uptake while dry, well-lit streets reduce perceived and actual risks.
Hal Stevenson, Director of Policy ‘or UK and Ireland at Lime said: Cycling is far from seasonal, but we always see an increase in rides when the weather warms up, and this year has been no different. During the heatwave in late April and early May, people across the Capital hopped on two wheels to get around the city – from the office in the morning, to the park with friends after work.
‘It’s great to see so many Londoners choosing to cycle – helping to reduce congestion, and improve air quality. Data shows that half of Londoners aged 18-34 now use shared e-bike at least once a week.’
Photo: Dominic Marley Getty Lime Bike 2024
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