COVENTRY’s streets will be lined with London style public access bikes by September.
A major bike-share operator, nextbike, has been chosen to deliver the UK’s largest docked bike scheme outside London.
Areas across the West Midlands will benefit from over 2000 congestion busting bikes by September, according to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
A further 3,000 bikes will be rolled out in phases across Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Solihull by 2019.
The bikes are designed to improve congestion in city centres and have been praised as solutions to soaring air pollution.
The plans say docking stations will be located around key sites in the towns and cities involved, with bikes available 24 hours a day.
Annual membership to the scheme will cost just £30 per year, meaning riders can access the bikes for as little as 8p per day.
The WMCA says the landmark scheme will bring 50 jobs to the region, with posts including area managers, van drivers and mechanics.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Cycling has an important role to play in tackling issues such as congestion, air pollution and health so I am really pleased we’ve reached the stage of announcing who will run the scheme in the West Midlands from September.
“Here in the West Midlands, our public transport is currently undergoing a revolution with new Metro extensions, plans to reopen rail routes and transform existing stations and new rapid transit bus services.
“The bike-share scheme will help support this, giving people options to use sustainable transport as part or all of their journey.
“I’m really looking forward to later in the year when we will have the first of these bikes on the streets in the West Midlands.”
Julian Scriven, nextbike UK MD, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing nextbikes to the people of the West Midlands.
“We are able to offer the most technologically-advanced and forward-thinking bike-share scheme and fleet in the UK and it’s amazing that the people of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Coventry will be able to benefit from it.
“The interconnectivity it will offer is going to be brilliant, it will really help to make journeys across the Midlands seamless.”
