Edinburgh offers cut-price bike hire pass to make cycling a habit

£10 charge for four months

Transport convener Lesley Macinnes says cycling is an affordable alternative to the private car

MORE than 2,000 free 30-minute journeys have been made on Edinburgh’s bike hire scheme as cycling soared in popularity during the Covid lockdown.

And now the city council is aiming to encourage them to take up pedalling long-term with a special four month pass for £10.

Since June 29, people have been able to try out the bikes for free under an initiative giving riders their first half hour of use at no cost, encouraging the public to give cycling a go. The second phase of the deal, launching on Monday aims to promote long-term use of the bikes by providing a limited number of four-month passes for just £10.

The ‘Back to Work pass’ replaces the existing 30 minutes free offer to encourage people to consider alternatives to private car use while managing demand for public transport as they return to work.

The move has been made possible by funding from Transport Scotland through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme.

Since the beginning of lockdown there has been a 16 per cent rise in cycling in the city.

Transport convener Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re delighted to be able extend our offer to help more people benefit from our hire bikes for longer. As we begin to return to some sense of normality, and as residents go back to work, more people will need to travel, and this will provide an affordable alternative to private cars while reducing pressure on public transport.

“There’s been a real surge in cycling over recent months, and we want to see this continue, benefiting the environment and the public’s health. That’s why we’re delivering improvements across the city that will make cycling and walking even easier and safer.”