E-bikers go Forth to travel 45,000 miles
Cycling offers as scheme marks its first anniversary
Forth Bike users have clocked up nearly 45,000 miles in the electric bike scheme’s first year – that’s almost twice round the globe.
The cross regional scheme, which spans Forth Valley, will celebrate its first birthday on Sunday, June 21, and is offering annual memberships for just £10 this weekend to encourage even more locals to get in the saddle. Free annual memberships are also on offer to all key workers.
Whilst steadily increasing over the past year, Forth Bike usage has sky-rocketed since March with users travelling a whopping 22,000 miles since lockdown began.
Forth Bike project officer Clément McGeown: “The past three months have been our busiest period yet, with usage tripling since Covid-19 restrictions started.
“Many locals are taking advantage of the quieter roads to try out our bikes for the first time and our free membership scheme for key workers has been a huge hit. Nearly 50 keyworkers have signed up for a free annual membership and we’ve had some incredible feedback from them on the benefits of cycling to their mental and physical health.”
In the first year there have been almost 9000 Forth Bike journeys with the majority of users aged 16-35 (55 per cent).
Charity Forth Environment Link, which manages the Forth Bike scheme, has also been supporting cycling during lockdown by offering: free memberships of its nextbike scheme for the next three months (one year free for key workers) with support from Cycling Scotland; and free bike servicing and bike accessories for key workers as part of Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival.
There has also been exclusive access to its Energy Savings Trust funded e-bike lending library for NHS key workers during the pandemic. The library has loaned over 70 electric bikes to NHS key workers since the beginning of April, with a further 90 key workers on the waiting list.
GPs at Dollar Health Centre have been using one of the e-bikes for house calls.
Dr Helen Ranfield said: “The bike is stationed at the health centre and we have been using it for home visits. We’ve attached a pannier for PPE and kit and have found it a welcome excuse to get some fresh air in between visits. Several of the staff have had a go and are now talking about saving up for their own electric bikes.”
For further information about bike hire and support contact Forth Environment Link’s Active Travel Hub coordinators Emily Callan at Stirling Active Travel on EmilyC@ forthenvironmentlink.org or Ray Burr at Falkirk Active Travel Hub on Ray@ forthenvironmentlink.org.