Vandals and thieves target e-bike hire scheme

An electric bike docking station in LeedsLeeds City Council

Leeds City Bikes launched last September

Vandals and thieves are regularly targeting a popular e-bike rental scheme in Leeds, the city council has warned.

Leeds City Bikes, which launched last September, currently has 11 docking bays across the city out of use due to a "large backlog of repairs", a spokesperson said.

Three hundred e-bikes over 40 locations were made available when the £2.8m active travel project was launched by Leeds City Council and e-bike firm Beryl.

Beryl’s CEO Phil Ellis said: “We will not tolerate this type of behaviour and are working closely together with West Yorkshire Police to increase availability of bikes and prevent and deter criminality."

The worst-affected areas were Armley, Hunslet Carr, Halton Moor Avenue and Harehills, the spokesperson said.

Mr Ellis said the "vast majority of people" used the scheme "respectfully and exactly as intended".

“Unfortunately, a small minority have continued to wilfully and maliciously damage bikes," he added.

"This has meant there is currently a backlog of vehicles awaiting repair and we apologise for any impact that this has had on vehicle availability."

He called on members of the public to report any misuse of the scheme, which is funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

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E-bike firm Beryl is named after legendary Leeds cyclist Beryl Burton

More than 17,000 users have completed nearly 70,000 journeys since it launched, the spokesperson said.

The bays currently out of use are:

  • Shepherds Lane

  • Grange View

  • Leopold Street

  • Spencer Place

  • York Road/Walford Avenue

  • Everleigh Street

  • Cross Green Lane

  • Easy Road/Cross Green Lane

  • Hunslet Library

  • Beeston Road/Moorville Grove

  • Elland Road

The spokesperson said missing bikes had been reported to West Yorkshire Police, with one person given an out-of-court disposal by officers.

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