Beryl bikes launched in Worcester
A Beryl bike and e-bike share scheme has been launched in Worcester this week, in partnership with Worcester City Council.
The scheme will make 175 e-bikes and 50 pedal bikes available to local residents from a network of 53 Beryl Bays.
(l-r) Worcester City Council Deputy Director for Policy & Strategy, David Sutton; Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis; and Worcester City Council Corporate Director for Planning & Governance, Sian Stroud
The project is part of a £4.5 million investment in Active Travel under the Worcester Town Investment Plan, which is grant funded by the Government’s Towns Fund.
Beryl CEO and co-founder Phil Ellis, said: ‘We’re extremely delighted to be launching our bikes and e-bikes in Worcester, a city with a clear and exciting vision to promote sustainable travel.
‘We have a proven track record of working in partnership with major cities and in consultation with communities and key stakeholders to deliver successful schemes that play a crucial role in integrated urban transport systems.
‘Our bikes and e-bikes are not only good for the environment, they’re also fun, convenient, easy to use and cost-effective, removing the need for vehicle ownership expenses such as fuel, tax, MOT, storage and maintenance.
‘We hope that, from the launch today, the scheme will encourage as many people as possible to adopt more sustainable long-term transport habits.’
Worcester City Council’s Corporate Director for Finance and Resource, Shane Flynn said: ‘We are delighted to be supporting this scheme which is being funded through the Government’s Town Investment Plan.
‘The Beryl bike and e-bike share scheme will provide a convenient and environmentally friendly way of travelling around the city, fulfilling the Council’s commitment to Active Travel whilst helping to reduce traffic and improve air quality.”
In the recently published Beryl Rider Report, 64% of riders that used both Beryl bikes and e-bikes said they had been riding more often or much more often since signing up.
The report also found that 97% cited convenience as either an important or very important factor in their decision to sign up to a scheme.
Since the first Beryl bike scheme was launched in 2019, their bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-cargo bikes have been ridden over seven million times, across more than twenty million kilometres, the equivalent of 507 laps of the Earth. Around a quarter of these journeys have directly replaced a car, van, motorbike or taxi journey.
I think that the basic idea of Bikes and Scooters are a great however as a Pedestrian and at times a Car driver
I do not think that either sufficient legislation and or safeguards have been put in place for Health and Safety of both Pedestrians and Cyclists.
Has this even been a consideration either by the Government or the local councils who give permission for the Bike Scheme to be put in place?
As both a driver and a pedestrian I witness many, many Cyclists in and around Worcester who choose not to obey the Highway code or local laws.
They frequently ignore Red Traffic lights and cycle through them as though they are exempt.
Also has anyone considered training in what is and what is not acceptable behavior when riding either a Bike, an E-bike or
E-scooter such as not carrying a passenger when it is clearly designed for the Cyclist only.
What about the age of the Renter is there a minimum age?
It is especially bad in Worcester High Street after school when e-scooter riders give lifts to a friend.
I have seen ordinary bike users doing wheelies on their back wheel in Worcester in the High street and In Sidbury in amongst the traffic and as another observer commented to me,whilst witnessing the Wheely ‘If he came down onto one of us in an accident we would be killed.
Please don’t suggest that the safer streets personal would deal with any Riders riding Dangerously in Worcester as one of them told me recently that he was not Authorized to stop them.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!