Edinburgh cycle hire scheme set to be expanded with more bikes and bigger boundaries

The scheme, operated by Voi, was launched on September 3 with 50 e-bikes available in the city centre.

The council says since it started, there have been more than 21,700 individual trips by more than 5,800 riders, covering a total of almost 60,000 kilometres.

The boundary of the scheme has been extended: the new area where cycles can be used is shown in white, the current boundary is in pink. | supplied

Now the council is working with Voi to move to the “second phase”, which will mean a total of around 340 e-bikes on the streets of the Capital from Friday, October 31,

And the area within which the bikes can operate will be be extended from the current boundaries - which stretch from Fountainbridge and Bruntsfield only as far north as McDonald Road and to Easter Road and Queen’s Drive in the east - and will now include Holyrood Park, Meadowbank and further north, taking in Bonnington, Leith and Newhaven.

Bikes which are taken beyond the boundaries no longer function as electric cycles.

The council said it would continue to monitor the scheme with Voi, but plans remained on track for “full coverage of the city” by the end of the year.

Transport and environment convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m delighted that we’re moving to the next phase of expanding our cycle hire scheme. The figures we’ve seen speak for themselves in terms of uptake, with hundreds of journeys being made across our city each and every day.

“I’ve no doubt that the scheme will continue to go from strength to strength and before long everyone in Edinburgh will be able to take advantage of this accessible, affordable, and sustainable way of getting around.”