Annual cost of Belfast bike-rental skyrockets to £120

The new hire scheme includes a fleet of pedal and e-bikes

A year-long membership for a new bicycle rental scheme introduced across Belfast is set to cost £120.

The 3,000-minute cycle bundle for the Belfast Bikes is almost five times the price of the previous fleet, which cost £25 for an annual membership.

About 400 new bikes, including electric bikes, were unveiled by operator Beryl in the city earlier this week. However, the scheme has faced criticism after the 20 minute-pay-as-you-go cycle cost is almost double what it used to be.

Phil Ellis from the firm defended the price hike and denied it is too expensive, but said pricing will be kept under review.

"If we've got it wrong, we'll have to do something about it," he told BBC News NI.

The annual membership for the e-bikes also includes a £1 unlocking fee, but the pedal bikes do not.

E-bikes introduced

Belfast City Council said it expects the new scheme to be more popular than the previous one, especially with the introduction of e-bikes.

A bike-sharing scheme was first introduced in the city a decade ago.

At one point, almost 40% of the rental bikes were out of action due to vandalism.

The existing 60 docking stations across Belfast will remain in use for the new scheme.

The cost of a 20 minute pay-as-you-go ride on a pedal bike was £1 under the previous scheme but is now £1.90.

The council has defended the price rise, saying it is the first since 2018.

A spokesperson added: "It has not risen in line with inflation on an annual basis, like most other council fees."

Public reaction

Róisín says she would use the hourly rate for the new Belfast bikes

Róisín said she feels as though the price difference for the hourly rate between an E-bike and regular bike is fair enough.

However, she feels the new annual price hike is expensive.

"I think if you're going to use E-bikes a little bit more, it makes sense but £120 a year is quite a lot, and I think that would be off-putting," she said.

"I think at that price if you're going to be using it often enough to buy the yearly membership, you would probably just buy a bike".

But the price does not put off Róisín completely, she said she would use the hourly rate as she would use them so infrequently.

Friends, David (left) and Rob (right) from Belfast

Rob said he has used the bikes before, but living in inner city Belfast he doesn't have much of a need for them.

He said the annual cost is not "too bad" when broken down into a monthly cost but the rise would "probably put people's back out".

Rob added that the hourly rate is handy for tourists but may not be ideal for locals.

David said using the bikes is more of a novelty for him, but he can't understand the large rise.

He added that most things in Belfast are in close proximity and so questioned how useful they really are.

Dianne Whyte welcomed the new scheme

Dianne Whyte from Sustrans, which supports active travel, welcomed the new scheme.

"The e-bikes are a great addition to the city. They'll be super for people who want to go a bit further and those who live in hillier areas," she said.

Beryl bikes operate in a number of other UK cities including Leeds, Norwich and Bournemouth.

Beryl bike chief executive Phil Ellis denied the scheme is too expensive

Chief executive Phil Ellis said they had worked with the council on the pricing and that the new rate is "pretty competitive" in relation to others in the UK.

For pay-as-you-go pedal bikes there is a 50p unlock fee and they cost 7p a minute, £4.20 an hour.

For e-bikes, there is a £1 unlock fee and a usage charge of 14p a minute, £8.40 an hour.

There are student discounts, a corporate membership package and "discounted minute bundles".

To access the new bike fleet, users have to download the Beryl app on their smartphone

To access the new bike fleet, users have to download the Beryl app on their smartphone.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said her department provided funding to support the introduction of e-bikes.

"Choosing to cycle is not just good for the environment, but is also beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing and I look forward to seeing the bikes being used and enjoyed," she said.

Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly said the investment will 'breathe new life into the scheme'

Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly said the investment will "breathe new life into the scheme" and hopes it will encourage "more residents, tourists, students and people working in the city to use the bikes".

Although a fleet of 400 is planned by the end of the year, the scheme has started with 250 bikes, 100 of which are electric.