Northampton: New fleet of electric bikes introduced

Northampton commuters will be able to hire e-bikes from 27 March

A new fleet of electric bikes is being introduced in a town to encourage a greener commute.

People in Northampton will be able to rent e-bikes from 27 March, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) said.

The scheme will be operated by the Swedish firm Voi, which already runs e-bike rentals in Kettering, Cambridge and Peterborough.

Councillor Phil Larratt said he was "delighted" the town could offer "a sustainable way for people to travel".

Mr Larratt, the cabinet member for environment, transport, highways and waste, added: "We will continue to work with Voi to ensure the safety of riders, pedestrians and motorists, and ensure both e-scooters and e-bikes provide a safe and sustainable way for people to get from A to B."

Voi already runs schemes in Kettering, Peterborough and here in Cambridge

A total of 50 e-bikes will be available to people across Northampton, with usage enabled via a mobile app.

A similar scheme in Peterborough had to be temporarily suspended last year after "unprecedented levels of vandalism" saw about 60 of the electric bikes damaged.

Voi spokesman, Jim Hubbard, said: "We're delighted to be adding to Northampton's green transport mix.

"E-bikes nicely complement our existing e-scooters in the town, providing people more choice."

He said e-bikes were "easy to use, affordable, reliable and sustainable".

Riders can use day or monthly passes to ride both e-scooters and e-bikes. Users must be aged 16 or over and do not require a UK driving licence.

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