The Starling Bank Bike hire scheme has clocked up one million rides and Transport for Greater Manchester has announced it will add 300 new e-bikes to the fleet in the new year to meet the demand.
Users of the yellow bikes have pedalled a combined 2.5 million kilometres- the same as travelling around the world 62.5 times.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that the e-bike design has evolved with customer feedback and the new e-bikes will add to the existing pushbikes already available throughout the Greater Manchester area.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner said that the upgraded bikes will be “lighter, with the battery integrated into the main frame, plus a larger composite basket at the front for users’ belongings”.
Bikes are currently for hire in Manchester, Salford, and Trafford. TFGM plans to expand the total number to 8000 bikes throughout the Greater Manchester boroughs with the highest demand.
Burnham said: “…Looking ahead, we have ambitions to expand the scheme to new areas and provide even more people with access to the bikes.”
This fits into TFGM’s goal of including cycle hire in Bee Network service tickets by encouraging cycle usage as part of the journey when using a bus or tram.
The scheme first launched in November 2021, with Starling bank becoming the first sponsor from January 2024.
Image by Grace McIntosh
