It’s ready, steady, Mo for cyclists!

NEW BIKE HIRE SCHEME SET TO REVOLUTIONISE REGION WITH 1,000 CYCLES READY TO ROLL LATER THIS MONTH

A ‘BORIS-style’ bike hiring scheme will be launched in Manchester and Salford – with 1,000 bikes to be rolled out this month.

The M.E.N. can exclusively reveal the service will start on Thursday, June 29, and it could revolutionise our cities.

Beijing-based Mobike is the world’s largest bike-sharing company, running cycle hire schemes across Singapore and China.

In the latest Manchester-China partnership, Manchester and Salford will become the first cities outside Asia to adopt the Mobike service, initially for a six-month trial but with a view to expand.

Unlike many other schemes, users will leave bikes at allocated sites across the cities, rather than being confined to docking stations.

And in contrast to former London mayor Boris Johnson’s bike share, which is part-funded by TfL, there will be no cost to the taxpayer.

The high-tech aluminium machines have airless tyres, a GPS tracker, builtin lock and a cashless smartphone app.

By downloading the app, finding a nearby Mobike and scanning its code, users will be able to pick up and ride bikes around the cities.

Aimed at getting more people on two wheels for short trips, it will also help tackle congestion and pollution levels.

It’s not yet known if they will be dubbed ‘Burnham Bikes’ – but an ‘iconic bike-hire scheme’ was among the new mayor’s manifesto pledges.

It also has the support of Manchester council, Salford council and transport bosses.

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor, said: “As mayor I want to see many more people swapping their cars for bikes in Greater Manchester and I will take a positive approach to promoting cycling across our city-region.”

He said the pilot is an ‘untested’ idea and would be kept under review, and that leaders would work to ensure other road users, pedestrians and traders were not adversely affected.

Mobike could face challenges in terms of infrastructure – with some areas less well-adapted for cycling than the new ‘Dutch boulevard’ style renovations of Oxford Road.

But Steve Pyer, general manager of Mobike UK, said evidence suggests boosting the number of cyclists helps drivers become aware and results in less accidents. On vandalism and illegal parking, he said cyclists would be asked to sign up to terms and conditions on the app, and the bike is electronically monitored for faults. He added: “This is for the people of Greater Manchester. We want these bikes to be loved and owned and looked after by everybody here, for them to be weaved into the fabric of society.” He said experience had proven the schemes encourage more people to take up cycling. He added: “This is about getting people out of their cars. Maybe some will end up buying their own bikes. But if you live in a flat and don’t want to maintain your own bike, you can come and borrow one off the street. “Manchester is very forward-thinking, you’ve got the Oxford Road corridor which is a revolution with a segregated bike lane and it’s the perfect fit for the tech we can offer. “We’re confident that Manchester and Salford and their residents will immediately see the benefits of our services, and the city will become a showcase for the urban transformation that is possible when cycling usage rises.”

Not only will it be good for health and the environment, but there’s an economic benefit too, he said.

It could also bring jobs to the region, with plans to hire a ‘local team’ with an understanding of Manchester, although numbers are unconfirmed.

The firm hopes the Manchester launch will kick-off a Europe-wide expansion.

The M.E.N reported in December how transport bosses launched a study into how a bike share scheme could work here.

An £80m investment in cycling infrastructure up to 2018 is under way. The ultimate goal is to boost the number of journeys made by bike to 10 per cent, from the current 3pc, by 2025.

Mobike’s official launch will take place at the Velo-City conference, the biggest cycling event of the calendar, in Nijmegen near Amsterdam in Holland.

As mayor I want to see people swapping their cars for a bike Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester