Beryl expands Solent bike-share scheme

Beryl has announced that it is expanding its bike rental scheme across the Solent region, providing more residents with access to greener and healthier transportation options. The scheme, developed by four local authorities in partnership with Solent Transport, will add 80 new bike rental bays to the existing 120, making a total of 515 bikes available at approximately 285 locations by the end of Summer 2023, pending approval for all planned bay locations.

With the Breeze app, people can now rent both pedal and e-bikes, facilitating travel to and from various destinations. The initiative aims to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and encourage sustainable commuting without the need for personal bike ownership or storage.

Solent Transport, together with Beryl and other partners, is working to offer a cost-effective and co-ordinated approach to transforming public transport as part of the Solent Future Transport Zone.

Phil Ellis, CEO of Beryl, said: “It’s great news that we’re able to further expand our bike and e-bike share schemes across the Solent region and enable even more people to take advantage of the excellent local cycling infrastructure. The schemes have already had a significant impact on decarbonising the region’s transport network, preventing more than four tonnes of harmful carbon emissions and replacing almost 9000 car, van, taxi or motorbike journeys across Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.”

New Lime report urges 10,000 e-bike parking bays in London by 2025

The rental bikes provide a convenient and economical alternative to private vehicle ownership, eliminating the costs of fuel, tax, MOT, insurance and maintenance. The availability of Beryl’s bikes through the app presents an excellent opportunity for people to explore the region and utilise the well-established local cycling infrastructure.

Councillor Phil Jordan, Deputy Chair of Solent Transport’s Joint Committee, said: “As councillors across Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, we are rightfully proud of how the Solent Transport partnership of local authorities is delivering sustainable transport options for residents and visitors. The expansion of Beryl Bikes by Breeze makes it even easier for people to choose to travel on a cleaner and greener vehicle that reduces congestion on our road network.”

The Beryl app is readily available for download on both the App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android users. Once registered, individuals can easily pick up and return bikes at secure parking locations near their homes or workplaces. This initiative seeks to make sustainable travel more accessible and convenient for residents and visitors in the Solent region.