Leicester e-bikes 'will be missed' after firm's collapse

Ride-on Scotland operated a fleet of 500 e-bikes in Leicester and Dundee

A cyclist has said Leicester's e-bike scheme will be missed after it was stopped due to the collapse of its provider.

Scarlett Child, who used the bikes five days a week, said she hoped Leicester City Council would ensure a similar service would be provided.

The scheme was halted after provisional liquidators were appointed to wind up bike hire company Ride-on Scotland.

All 300 e-bikes have been taken into storage by Leicester City Council.

Ms Child told BBC Radio Leicester the bikes were a "great way" to get to and from her workplace in Aylestone.

Since they were removed from Leicester city centre, she said she now paid £2 per bus journey rather than the 60p the bikes costed her.

"I think that it'll be missed in the city centre," she said.

"If there's a way that the local council can get a new contract with a new company to ensure that a similar service, if not that same one, can remain in the city centre then that would be really beneficial for people in the community.

"In our city centre especially it was such a fantastic way to get people to ditch the cars especially for shorter journeys."

'The scheme isn't dead'

Ride-on Scotland's entire fleet has been put on the market since the collapse, including 200 e-bikes located in Dundee.

Charging systems, software and maintenance systems have also been put up for sale.

Administrators, FRP Advisory, said the business had suffered "unsustainable working capital and cashflow problems" due to a lack of investment.

Deputy city mayor Adam Clarke said the council knew the company was going out of business, but could not take over the scheme due to procurement laws and a lack of funding.

He said: "The company's gone bust, but the idea of having a brilliantly-connected electric bike share offer in the city has not gone.

"The idea, the scheme isn't dead, only the company operating it is."

The city council said it had not lost any money through the scheme, as it was set up with £500,000 of funding from the government's Department for Transport.