Edinburgh cycle hire: Swedish company Voi chosen to run new e-bike scheme
Swedish company Voi has been chosen to run Edinburgh’s new cycle hire scheme, with bikes expected to be available on the streets within the next 10 days.
People will be able to hire a bike for £2 for 20 minutes - and there will be 50 per cent discounts for those on low incomes, those with disabilities, students, apprentices and over-60s.
Edinburgh's previous cycle hire scheme, which was run by Serco and sponsored by Just Eat, came to an end in September 2021 after thefts and vandalism made it unaffordable.
The new scheme, using e-bikes only, will be dockless and operate at no cost to the council.
Several companies bid for the opportunity to run the cycle hire scheme in Edinburgh, but Voi Technology UK Ltd won the contract, which officially starts on Friday and will run as a trial for two years, with the option to extend for up to a further 18 months at the discretion of the council.
The scheme will start with 50 bikes but has the capacity to scale up to 800 bikes by the new year, depending on demand.
Voi already operates in 11 countries around the world and several cities in the UK.
The council said it was working with Voi to establish a date when the public would be able to use the scheme as soon as possible, but the priority was to ensure the scheme worked effectively and implement it in a safe and controlled manner.
Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said he expected the first bikes to be available for hire within seven to ten days.
He said: “I’m delighted that we’ve reached this key milestone to deliver a new cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh. Voi brings a wealth of experience in this field, operating across the UK and internationally, and I’m very excited to see how the scheme will progress here in the Capital. We’ll be launching the scheme later this week before expanding across the city through the autumn.
“From allowing our residents and visitors a new way to travel around the city, through to cutting congestion, pollution and beyond – the scheme will bring a host of benefits to Edinburgh.”
He said Voi’s UK existing operations included cities of a similar size to Edinburgh and with similarly complex city centres, such as Oxford and Cambridge.
And he highlighted the company’s ability to offer discounts to various groups. “It’s making sure the scheme is accessible to as many people as possible and market it to the widest range of people.”
In addition to the 50 per cent discount for those on low incomes, the disabled, students, apprentices and over-60s, there will be a 20 per cent discount for blue-light workers, care-experienced individuals and veterans.
And Cllr Jenkinson said: “We will also work with the vendor on various other discounts and concessions as the scheme rolls out. We want to encourage as many people to take part in this trial as possible by making it accessible and cost-effective.”
He said the procurement process for tenders of this kind would normally take around eight months to bring to fruition, but the final decision to have a new cycle hire scheme had been taken just three months before the award of the contract.