E-bike to ‘revolutionise travel’ in Cambridgeshire, hopes mayor
E-scooters getting a trial run in Cambridge. Mayor James Palmer believes they will revolutionise travel locally whilst enabling people to remain sociallly dIstanced. Picture: CAPCA - Credit: Archant
Residents across Cambridgeshire will be able to benefit from healthier journeys while limiting the spread of Covid-19 thanks to a new mode of transport.
Mayor James Palmer believes e-bikes will revolutionise travel locally whilst enabling people to remain sociallly dIstanced. Picture: ARCHANT - Credit: Archant
Electric bikes will be rolled out by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CAPCA) from January following a 12-month rental e-scooter trial launched by mayor James Palmer in October.
The first rollout will take place in Cambridge and Peterborough from January 12, in partnership with micro-mobility operator Voi Technology, before being launched across the region.
The e-bikes aim to make journeys greener and healthier while remaining socially distanced to bring down infection rates.
Mayor Palmer said: “Cambridge is renowned for being a cycling city and electric bikes have the potential to revolutionise travel, helping more people to go further and at their convenience.
“We are launching this in Cambridge and Peterborough city centres, but we plan to introduce them across the region in due course, including in market towns such as St Ives.”
During the e-scooter trial, more than 4,400 unique active users have taken on 13,400 rides in Cambridge, while the number of e-scooters rose from 50 to 350 with more planned in the coming months.
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The e-bike can travel between 50-100 miles on a single charge, and batteries will be swapped by Voi overnight and taken to a warehouse in Cambridge to be recharged in order to maintain power.
The Voi app also provides Covid-19 information and advice, such as advising riders to wear gloves if it makes them feel more comfortable.
The CAPCA expects to save 48-115 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in Cambridge over the course of the e-scooter trial, and like e-scooters, e-bikes may also be disinfected daily with handlebars featuring copper tape to inactivate coronavirus on contact.
More details about the electric bike scheme, including the numbers of e-bikes, locations, and operational areas in Cambridge and Peterborough, will be released in early January ahead of the launch.
Richard Corbett, regional general manager of UK, Ireland and Benelux for Voi, said: “We are delighted to work with the CAPCA to bring our shared e-bike scheme to these cities early next year.
“Similarly to our e-scooters, shared e-bikes offer a green and socially distanced mode of transport and a great alternative to car journeys, reducing congestion and carbon emissions.”
