Excitement as town next to get e-bike hire scheme
EXCITEMENT is building ahead of the arrival of 50 e-bikes in Penarth this spring, with the public already having their say on where they would like the stations installed.
Announced in October, the Nextbike scheme will act as a link for commuters who travel to and from Cardiff, with six docking stations set to be located in key parts of the town.
The Vale of Glamorgan council has received numerous requests from the public to introduce the bikes following the success of the cycle hire scheme in Cardiff, which has clocked up more than 600,000 rentals since it launched in 2018.
Nextbike and the Vale council are working closely with Cardiff council to link the two schemes, meaning commuters will be able to use the bikes to make the journey between the town and the city with ease.
After receiving more than 40 requests for stations, the council and Nextbike worked together to survey the locations for feasibility.
The shortlist of potential locations includes the town centre, Cogan Railway Station, Penarth Railway Station, Llandough Hospital, the esplanade/pier, Cosmeston Country Park, Cardiff Bay Barrage and Ponty-Werin Bridge.
The scheme hopes to encourage people to switch from their daily car journey to bikes, saving on average 249g of CO₂ for every 1km travelled. The average round trip from Penarth to Cardiff is 12km, which would save 2,988g of CO₂ if used daily.
Nextbike MD Krysia Solheim said the Penarth scheme would be great for those who commute into the capital. She said: “E-bikes will make that journey easier and quicker than ever before, which will hopefully persuade more people to switch from four wheels to two on a daily basis.”