E-bikes to get motoring in Glasgow hire scheme

Glasgow is planning to add electric bikes to the city’s cycle hire scheme.

The city council is in discussions with nextbike UK over the move. If approved, the branded e-bikes would be available for hire at various points around the city.

The company are seeking feedback on adding e-bikes to the scheme. The bicycles would make it easier to climb some of Glasgow’s steeper hills and to get to destinations faster.

E-bikes are “pedal assisted” and are used like a normal bicycles but have a small motor that can see them reach speeds of 15mph.

Nextbike managing director Julian Scriven said: “We’re cur- rently in talks with Glasgow City Council about the possible introduction of e-bikes to the scheme. Both nextbike and the council would love to see this happen if the necessary funding can be found.

“In addition, the scheme will soon benefit from 150 additional bikes over the coming months that will take numbers up to 650.

“Glasgow is our flagship scheme in the UK. It recently reached the impressive figure of 500,000 rentals and we want to ensure Glaswegians continue to see cycling as a reliable way to get around their city.”

The discussions come after it was announced in May that Edinburgh’scyclehirescheme, which will be rolled out with e-bikes included, had been delayed until the autumn.