Derby e-bike rentals to return three years after scheme scrapped

A previous project for renting electric bikes in Derby was scrapped in 2019

Electric bikes will be returning to the streets of Derby after funding for a new scheme was approved.

Derby City Council said a new e-bike sharing system could be in place as soon as next year.

A previous contract was scrapped in 2019 after vandalism left more than two-thirds of the fleet unusable.

About £1.27m in funding was agreed by the council at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The project will receive money from the Transforming Cities Fund and will be run jointly with Nottingham City Council.

Ruth Skelton, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition at Derby City Council, said she welcomed the return of e-bikes.

"A lot of people were upset when the previous scheme of being able to hire bikes across the city fell victim to sustained vandalism," she said.

"I hope this will go some way to make sure we can have a scheme that works properly and has better security."