E-BIKES have been added to the popular Belfast Bikes fleet for the first time.
It comes after a new operator, Beryl Bikes, was announced on Wednesday as the new operator for the bike share scheme, which is managed by Belfast City Council.
100 state-of-the-art e-bikes have been introduced to the Belfast Bikes fleet, alongside 150 pedal bikes.
All 60 existing Belfast Bikes docking stations will remain in their current locations. 300 new pedal bikes will also be introduced later this year, bringing the total fleet to 400, made up of 100 e-bikes and 300 pedal bikes.
The new e-bikes have been made possible by funding from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), with £500,000 provided as part of a boost to support active travel projects across the North.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, said: “I’m delighted to officially launch the Belfast Bikes’ new Beryl fleet today.
“These public e-bikes are something different for the city and will attract new users, as well as providing current users with another mode of sustainable and economical transport to get around the city.
“Belfast Bikes launched ten years ago, so this investment will breathe new life into the scheme, encouraging more residents, tourists, students and people working in the city to use the bikes and draw upon Beryl’s experience in delivering successful bike hire schemes in other UK cities.
“The scheme supports our ambitions to create a better connected, low carbon, climate resilient city and, with the boost that Beryl now bring, will deliver an improved experience for cyclists, designed to make their journey as easy, enjoyable and comfortable as possible.”
Beryl is the UK’s leading shared sustainable transport provider, championing greener travel options to help reduce road congestion and improve air quality and public health. It currently operates 17 bike, e-bike and e-cargo bike hire schemes across the UK, delivered in partnership with local councils.
Beryl CEO, Phil Ellis, said: "Belfast residents and visitors can now experience a modernised, upgraded, and expanded micromobility fleet – including 100 new e-bikes. This incredible city now has a more convenient and sustainable way to travel, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality for everyone.
“This is a substantial improvement to the Belfast Bikes programme that we are proud to introduce, alongside Belfast City Council and the Department for Infrastructure (DFI). We encourage everyone to download the convenient Beryl app to enable access to the new fleet across all 60 docking stations.”
Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, said: “I am delighted that my Department was able to provide capital funding to support the introduction of e-bikes to the Belfast bike fleet. “As more people look towards adopting active and sustainable means of travel, these new e-bikes will provide an attractive option for those who would perhaps not consider using a traditional bicycle as a means of transport.
“This will not only appeal to locals who are making short everyday journeys across the city, but also visitors who want to enjoy the city sights at a leisurely pace.
“Choosing to cycle is not just good for the environment, but is also beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing and I look forward to seeing the bikes being used and enjoyed.”
As part of the new Beryl Belfast Bikes fleet, users will benefit from affordable and flexible pay-as-you-go pricing, which includes a small ‘unlock’ fee and a straightforward per-minute charge which reduces the more you use the bikes.
For pay-as-you-go pedal bikes, there is a 50p unlock fee and it costs just 7p per minute. For e-bikes, there is a £1 unlock fee and a usage charge of 14p per minute.
Discounted minute bundles, from 100 to up to 3,000 minutes, are available and students can avail of an additional 25 per cent discount on bundles, alongside corporate membership packages.
To access the new bike fleet, users must download the Beryl app – available for both iOS and Android – with rides of the upgraded fleet having got under way on Wednesday.
More information on the new bikes, including tariffs and the sign-up process, are available on the Belfast Bikes website.
