Beryl launches shared e-bike scheme in Plymouth

As of 21 March 2023, 125 e-bikes are available for the public to use from 28 Beryl bays as part of the first phase of the scheme. Further e-bikes and bays will be added in phases throughout 2023 and, when fully operational, Plymouth will have a 500-strong fleet of e-bikes for hire from over 90 bays at key locations.

Beryl Scheme Lead for Plymouth, Kate Palmer, said: “We’re extremely delighted to be launching our scheme in Plymouth, a city with a clear and exciting vision to promote sustainable travel. Our e-bikes are a really fun and versatile way to travel and their extra power can really open up areas, enabling riders to tackle hills and undertake longer journeys. They’re also great for commuting, allowing people to arrive at work clean and ready to go, and for carrying heavier loads such as shopping. By swapping the car for an e-bike journey you’re not only boosting your own health and fitness, you’re also helping to reduce congestion and harmful carbon emissions, so why not give it a try.”

Portsmouth City Council to launch new car club in July 2023

Connect Plymouth is the new name for the network of facilities – which had formerly been called mobility hubs. There will be an additional 300 parking bays across the city with electric vehicle charge points provided by Wenea.

The council has also awarded a contract to Co Cars to run a fleet of electric car club vehicles within Plymouth. It is part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to change people’s travel habits by making it as easy as possible for people to choose low carbon options to get about.

In March 2020 the council had received £51.2 million capital funding from the Transforming Cities Fund, building upon the £7.6 million that had previously been awarded in 2019.