More than half of bikes in Greater Manchester hire scheme need repairs

TfGM said the scheme recently "reached a major milestone" when ridership surpassed one million kms (620,000 miles) cycled

More than half of the bikes offered in a region's hire scheme have been left in need of repair after a recent rise in vandalism, it has been revealed.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said while the scheme run by Beryl was increasingly popular, damage had taken 564 of the 943 bikes off the roads.

It said that had left only 379 bikes in Manchester, Salford and Trafford.

A representative said TfGM would work with Beryl to "review the penalties given to users who misuse the scheme".

The scheme, which launched in November 2021, currently has more than 62,000 active users, a figure which has risen from the initial 40,000 in its first year.

When it was launched, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham promised that it would not go the same way as the doomed Mobike scheme, which was pulled from the city region by its Chinese operators due to theft and vandalism.

'Maliciously damaged'

The TfGM representative said on Friday, the scheme "reached a major milestone" when ridership surpassed one million kms (620,000 miles) cycled, with usage "around three times higher than expected throughout May".

However, they said a "significant rise in vandalism over recent weeks" had created "a large backlog of repairs", which had taken hundreds of bikes off the roads.

They said TfGM officials had met with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Beryl, Mr Burnham and the region's active travel commissioner Dame Sarah Storey and agreed several steps to "increase availability", which included:

• Beryl joining the TravelSafe Partnership, which "works collaboratively and takes an enforcement, engagement and education-led approach to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour"

• Targeted enforcement being planned against those "involved in criminal activity"

• TfGM and Beryl reviewing "the penalties given to users who misuse the scheme by not returning bikes to designated areas or who leave them unlocked after use"

• Re-allocating bikes "from low usage areas to those with high ridership"

In a joint statement, TfGM's cycling and walking director Richard Nickson, GMP's Ch Supt Mark Dexter and Beryl's chief executive Phil Ellis said while the vast majority of people were using the scheme "respectfully and exactly as intended", a small minority had "wilfully and maliciously damaged bikes".

"We will not tolerate this type of behaviour and are working closely together to increase availability of bikes and prevent and deter criminality," they said.

They added the public could "play their part too" and asked people to be "our eyes and ears and help us by reporting any misuse of the scheme".

Users of the scheme have also been asked to help ensure bikes remain available by returning them to a stand, or leaving them next to a stand if one is not available, and ensuring they are properly locked after use.