Lack of routes worries cyclists on Worcester's bike hire scheme

Worcester is said to have a reputation of not being cycle friendly, local cyclists say

A new bike hire scheme would not be appropriate unless safer routes are installed, cyclists said.

It is hoped a Worcester-wide hire scheme with 225 bikes, including 175 e-bikes, will begin in May 2024.

Bike Worcester said people would be put off by the lack of infrastructure and the hostile reputation towards cycling.

The council said the £700,000 scheme was a huge step forward and would have 50 collect and drop-off points across the city.

The scheme would work as a pay as you ride with a £1 unlocking fee, then riders are charged 8p a minute for a pedal bike and 16p a minute for an e-bike.

It would be funded using almost £20m the city was given by the government from the Towns Fund in 2021, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Rob Collier, secretary of Bike Worcester, said while the new bike hire scheme was a huge turning point, the county's hostile reputation towards cycling and the lack of proper infrastructure would put off inexperienced riders.

He said many of the routes between the 50 proposed drop-off points would be extremely unpalatable for novice or inexperienced cyclists.

Cllr Steve Cockeram agreed that Worcester still had a lot of work to do to improve cycling infrastructure and make it bike-friendly.