Commuters in Cardiff will be able to hire folding bikes from next week as Brompton Bike Hire opens three docking points in the city. They'll be the first of their kind in the capital and will be available from October 12.
The three 'docks' will be located at Cardiff Central Station, Cathays Station and Whitchurch Station. Brompton Bike Hire is the sister company of Brompton Bicycle, manufacturer of the popular folding bikes often seen on commuter trains and buses.
The bikes will cost £5 a day (including insurance) to hire through the Brompton Bike Hire app, and can be kept for 24 hours, a week or longer. There's also a subscription service available for students at a fixed rate of £30 per month for an academic year or a rolling rate of £45 per month. You can get more Cardiff news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Julian Scriven, managing director of Brompton Bike Hire, said: "The benefits of cycling are clear to see and we’re so pleased to bring Brompton Bike Hire to the thriving city of Cardiff, where residents, visitors and students can experience the benefits of riding our bikes as an alternative and affordable way of getting around.
"Not only is cycling great for wellbeing, it also reduces carbon emissions and supports Cardiff’s aims in decreasing traffic congestion and reducing pollution levels."
A Brompton spokesperson said the company was "delighted" to be helping Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government with their aim of reducing air pollution. Brompton Bike Hire was set up in 2011 and has over 70 docks across the UK, including one in Carmarthen and another in Burry Port.
Brompton will become an alternative option to Cardiff's Ovo bikes, operated by Nextbike. The Ovo bikes returned to the city in January, 2022, after being removed for two months due to vandalism and theft.
Cardiff is becoming an increasingly bike-friendly city with the addition of new cycle lanes including one along the length of Cathays Terrace - although it's received a mixed response.
When he became cabinet member for climate change earlier in 2022, Councillor Caro Wild said air quality was a "massive concern." He added: "[The WHO] have brought the limit right down to 10 [micrograms per cubic metre] I think. We have always said there is no safe limit, but I don't think there is any town or city in the whole of the UK that wouldn't have figures above 10 in most of their areas. We have got areas of the city where it's getting close to 40, never mind the 10, so a real focus on getting those down, but also recognising that there's no safe limit.
"That is affecting all of our citizens' health every day. When you look at all of the moves to active travel, the work we're doing on public transport, the targets have to do with air quality." You can read more stories about Cardiff here.
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