Edinburgh's JustEat cycle scheme to add 42 new hire points across city by spring after £500k cash injection

Edinburghs JustEat cycle hire scheme is adding 42 new hire points across the city after receiving a 500,000 cash boost.Pic: Scott Louden

Many of the hire points will link areas of Edinburgh which haven't been previously served by the network.

Edinburgh’s JustEat cycle hire scheme is adding 42 new hire points across the city after receiving a £500,000 cash boost.

The scheme, run on behalf of Transport for Edinburgh, was launched in September 2018 and currently has a fleet of more than 500 bikes. The funding from SP Energy Newtworks' Green Economy Fund will help take the total number of hire points across the network to 101 by spring this year.

The funding was awarded in a bid to encourage more people who live, visit and study in Edinburgh to take up cycling as a low carbon alternative to other forms of travel.

The funding from SP Energy Newtworks' Green Economy Fund will help take the total number of hire points across the network to 101 by spring this year.

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The hire points are currently being installed at various sites across the city including Montgomery Street and Belford Road next to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) and Dean Gallery.

Other funded sites include West Crosscauseway, Corstorphine Road and Craigleith Road.

Many of the new hire points will link areas of Edinburgh which have not previously been served by the network.

Green Economy Fund

Edinburgh’s bike hire scheme is one of 33 Scottish projects to receive a share of £20 million from the Green Economy Fund, which is designed to help projects and organisations pursue their green ambitions.

Alex Macdonald, Serco’s general manager for Just Eat Cycles, said: "We are extremely thankful for the work SPEN and TfE have done to support the scheme since its launch.

"A cost effective, green alternative to travelling by car or bus is pivotal to the City’s goals for an integrated and sustainable travel network. Expanding the existing network of hire points around Edinburgh’s city centre helps contribute to these objectives. We are hugely grateful for this funding and we thank SPEN for its ongoing support.”

SP Energy Networks support a range of innovative projects, from bike hire schemes and electric bin lorries, through to a micro heat network and community hydropower station.

Frank Mitchell, chief executive of SP Energy Networks, said: "Edinburgh’s cycle scheme has already made a huge impact by providing low-carbon travel options for residents and visitors alike. Our Green Economy Fund gives organisations such as Transport for Edinburgh the opportunity to establish or expand projects that benefit people in their community and support the growth of Scotland’s green economy. Ultimately, they will help to meet the Scottish Governments ‘net zero’ targets and play a part in tackling climate change."

A portion of the funding will be used for outreach work in communities where hire points are installed in order to raise awareness of the environmental and health benefits of cycling.

Just Eat Cycles has been monitoring usage patterns and taking feedback from communities around Edinburgh in order to map out the most suitable areas for new hire points.