£100 Lothians GO e-bikes hire deposit blamed on ‘mindless thugs’ and vandals - your views online

"The deposit won’t deter the vandals, they don’t hire them to smash them, they break the stands to get them”
The hire e-bikes have become targets for vandalsThe hire e-bikes have become targets for vandals
The hire e-bikes have become targets for vandals

E-bike deposits

£100 Lothians GO e-bikes hire deposit blamed on ‘mindless thugs’ and vandals

Vera Farrer

They’re causing destruction everywhere. How about if they’re caught, someone smashes up their possessions? They think it’s a great laugh, but it costs everyone in the end.

Greg Wheatley

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This is like bombing an entire village to kill one terrorist. How's a family on holliday going to have 4,5,6 hundred quid for a deposit on some crappy bikes for a few hours?

Gail Begg

Bikes need to stay, thugs need to go!

Linda Mitchell

The deposit won’t deter the vandals, they don’t hire them to smash them, they break the stands to get them.

Richard Berry

It does not work! We had £50 deposits in Manchester, but the bikes were still broken, stolen or thrown in the canal. It all depends on how easy it is to break the locks.

Gordon Jackson

These wee thugs have been doing it for years to motorbikes, which cost thousands of pounds, and nothing is done about it. So much so that there are motorcycle websites in Europe that recommend avoiding Edinburgh when visiting Scotland. The law is set up to protect these young thugs. Stealing these bicycles will just be a starter school for them.

Jim Shanley

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Pointless … I’ve seen them forcibly removing them, push starting them and riding off in their signature trackies and moronic smiles.

Frances Petrie-Hay

That would certainly put me off, just the constant need to check that it was refunded, plus what if you wanted to hire twice a day every day – you could soon be down thousands.

David Carnegie

The wee bams figured out how to break the locks, so it won’t matter if there’s a deposit.

George Skinner

Holland tried various ways of hiring out bikes years ago, kinda unsuccessful. Tey got mostly stolen same as here. Learn from their mistakes, don’t repeat them.

Kris Fleming

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I saw teenagers using them and just throwing them down the steps at Crammond Island because they couldnt be arsed taking the long way round on the bike.

William Wood

All removed from South Queensferry, Just Eat were targeted every day.

Ross Fraser

As if you are going to be daft enough to lay out £100 for a shot of a bike,even if it’s a returned deposit!

Ian Bridges

A deposit is not the solution.... aiming at the wrong target here I think.

Amanda Anderson

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Cheaper buying a bike yourself. Who can just hand over 100 quid for a bike ride, especially when it can take up to two weeks to get your deposit back?

Muriel Patterson

They break the locks to get them and young ones as young as 10 ride them irresponsibly – very dangerous.

Moira Hunter

Take them away. Who the hell could afford that for a bike ride?

John Robert O'Hara

£100 for an electric bike is cheap.

Donald Cockburn

Watch the business disappear.

David Thomson

This is never going to happen in the UK as the police don’t care and it’s a free bike for some. Sadly in the UK you can't have anything good.

John Davis

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How about instead of taking more money off the public, they spend some money on better anti-theft devices and lock systems, rather than having a bike that a 12-year-old can pull off a rack with a little force?

Andrena Graham

‘Mindless thugs’ or whoever it is that takes them don’t pay deposits - they steal them, ride them, damage them and dump them. This is not a solution - it’s a barrier to hiring and overall concept of use. These bikes need to be in secure stores, and when you hire you are given a code to unlock the store to take the bike and return it when done.

Jaime Neal

How is a £100 deposit charged to those who hire bikes legitimately going to deter those who break the security mechanisms and steal them? That’s utter nonsense.

Claire A A EadieI get there are idiots. However, in Edinburgh I do see a lot of people who might not be able to afford a bike use them. Placing a £100 bond on them will price a lot out of the market for using them, which I think is not in spirit of the bikes.

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