New e-bikes across the city have been launched - and people in Nottingham expect them to prove popular.
On a pay-as-you-go basis, the bikes were launched on April 14. The scheme comes from a partnership between Nottingham City Council and e-bike providers, Lime, which runs the same scheme in London, Milton Keynes and Salford.
In order to use one of the bikes, riders will need to download the Lime app and will be able to collect the bikes from over 100 designated parking bays in the city.
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Student Liam Taylor, 22, was among people in the city centre who had their say on the new e-bikes. He believes the e-bikes could become as well-used as the e-scooters which have been rolled out under a separate scheme.
Currently living in the city centre, he said: “It’s a good form of transport and cheap too. A lot of students used the e-scooters and I think they’ll use bikes too.”
The student continued and said: “I know it’s a bit different but the Boris bikes were successful in London and it’s a fun thing to do, quick and convenient, I’ll definitely be downloading the app, there’s a row of them near to my flat around Huntingdon street so which is handy too.”
According to the Lime app, new e-bikes require an initial £1 payment, with users being charged 19p per minute. This works out at £12.40 for a one-hour hire.
Carer Alison Gray, 44, who lives in Mapperley, said: “I personally wouldn’t use them but I think that they’re better than the scooters, it seems a good scheme to get everyone fit and healthy.
“Riding a bike is more economically friendly than driving a car as we know. I just hope people use them properly and return them to the correct areas.”
Student Brandon James, who is 18 years old and lives in the city centre, said: “I think these bikes will be popular already. I've seen a few people riding round on them and I think it’s a positive. A lot of places have similar schemes so it’s nice to see Nottingham’s now introducing this too.”
Alice Pleasant, public affairs manager at Lime, previously said: “Expanding our e-bike service into Nottingham is a key step in our ambition to give cities nationwide the tools to transition away from cars and meet their net-zero targets. Lime’s e-bikes have become a popular addition to the streets of London, and in partnership with Nottingham City Council , we hope to see more and more people adopting alternative transport methods.”
Alex Flint, CEO of Nottingham Business Improvement District, said: “Championing sustainable ways to access Nottingham city centre , to shop and socialise, or to visit and enjoy the city’s open and green spaces, is important to Nottingham Business Improvement District, so we’re very excited to see the new generation of Lime e-bikes arriving in the city.
"Nottingham already has a strong track record of providing environmentally friendly transport, including the large gas bus fleet, and extensive tram network, and we anticipate that local residents and visitors will enjoy using these new vehicles as practical, and green, ways to discover or commute into the city.”
The previous Citycard Cycles scheme, where separate bikes could be hired across the city, came to an end ahead of the launch of the new e-bikes.
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