Sustainable transport providers Beryl have released new survey data that shows the impact Leeds City Bikes have had on transport habits.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Have you been on one of these? Launched in September 2023, the Leeds City Bike Scheme
00:07allows you to hire an electric bike and cycle between different parts of the inner city.
00:12Operated by Beryl, Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority,
00:17the £2.86 million scheme saw the installation of numerous bike docks around Leeds.
00:23Beryl's annual rider report is a survey of over 13,000 people across the 16 parts
00:29of the country which have Beryl bikes, with 465 Leeds residents responding.
00:34The survey found that 55% of Leeds City Bike riders are cycling either more often or much
00:40more often since using the scheme, and 33% of riders are using private cars less often
00:45since using the e-bikes. 40% of Leeds City Bike riders cite commuting as their primary
00:51purpose for using the bikes, which is 6% higher than the average across all of the Beryl schemes.
00:57Beryl have said the report demonstrates an encouraging long-term shift towards more
01:01sustainable transport habits, with a positive impact on congestion levels,
01:06air quality and public health. It highlighted that Leeds City Bikes has a slightly younger
01:11demographic than average, with 65% of respondents aged between 16 to 34,
01:16compared to the 57% average across all Beryl schemes.
01:20The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracey Brabin, and Leeds City Council have welcomed the
01:24survey's findings and they want to encourage more residents to give the bikes a go.
01:28With almost 23,000 registered users, the scheme has generated over 112,000 journeys,
01:34which is 30,000 hours of physical activity. According to industry calculations,
01:38the scheme has also saved over eight tonnes of carbon emissions.