E-bike scheme used over 70,000 times in first year

Beryl Bikes were introduced to Leeds in September 2023

An e-bike rental scheme has been used to make more than 70,000 journeys in its first 12 months.

The £2.8m Leeds City Bikes launched in September 2023, with 300 e-bikes available across 40 locations.

A year on while some users described the bikes as "the best way to travel" around the city, others said safety and cost were an issue while the company behind the scheme warned vandalism was also a concern.

West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin said she wanted to make the bikes cheaper to use but asked for people to treat them "with respect".

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said vandalism was putting the scheme at risk

Civil servant Rick Webb, 42, said he used the bikes a couple of times a week to get from Headingley to the city centre.

He said, despite the price, it was still the best way to travel.

“A lot of people are considering the cost of them at the moment and they’re saying compared with the bus they’re quite expensive, but actually the cost isn’t the primary driver for me,” he said.

“It’s the quickest and most efficient way of getting in and out of town. I can’t even get an Uber quicker than that.”

Leeds City Council said the cost of the Beryl Bikes was in line with other schemes across the country, with bikes available from as little as 16p a minute after paying a £1 unlocking fee.

Tom Forth, head of data at Open Innovations in Leeds, said he had used the bikes in Leeds and Manchester and praised the scheme.

“They are a bit expensive, but it works really well. You can get where you need to go quickly. It is more than the bus but you get there quickly,” he said.

“You can’t make bikes cheap if people keep smashing them up so I can’t blame them. I’ve got my own e-bike now, it’s the best way to get around Leeds. I think we’ve made quite a lot of progress on bike lanes in the city.”

Cyclist Rick Webb said he used the bikes a couple of times a week to get from Headingley to the city centre

However, one cyclist, who gave his name as Sev, said people did not ride bikes in Leeds because of dangerous driving and a shortage of cycle lanes.

“Fear is what stops Leeds being a city full of people on bikes. People are afraid that they’re going to get run over,” he said.

A council spokesperson said it had invested more than £300 million in sustainable transport, creating more than 30 miles (50km) of segregated cycle lanes in the past five years.

They added that anti-social behaviour had affected the availability of bikes in some areas, resulting in some bays being suspended.

Last month the council said 11 docking bays across the city were out of use due to a "large backlog of repairs".

Ms Brabin said vandalism was "only going to harm your community".

She said: "If we can’t make sure that these bikes are safe and useable then unfortunately we’re going to have to think again. The more that they’re used the cheaper it’s going to be.

“I do want to make it cheaper but I do want the bikes also to be treated with respect because it’s an exciting thing for our community – people are really enjoying using them.”

According to the council, the bikes have been used by more than 17,000 cyclists

According to the council, the bikes have been used by more than 17,000 users on more than 70,000 journeys since their launch in September 2023 - saving nearly six tonnes of carbon emissions.

Deputy leader Jonathan Pryor said: “Around a third of these trips replaced journeys that would have been made by car, van, taxi or motorbike helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality across the city."

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