Today, Cardiff adds its name to the list of cites taking eco-friendly transport seriously, now enjoying its very own bike hire scheme.
Where various London boroughs have introduced such rental facilities, many have been waiting for Cardiff, Bristol and the likes to follow suit.
With our headquarters based down in Cardiff, we at Anything for Hire are thrilled to welcome such an incentive; seeing Cardiff now part of the European bike-share operation headed up by Nextbikes.
Forming a partnership with Nextbikes, the city today welcomes 5 docking stations as well as 50 new bikes. Whilst only a small number of bicycles, this is very much just the first phase of the scheme. According to sources, May is the month in which we can expect a full launch, having a further 25 stations and 250 bikes installed across Cardiff.
Backed by Cardiff Council and funded by Welsh Government, the initial set of bikes are dotted around the city. Areas include:
- City Hall
- Cardiff Central Train Station
- Cardiff University’s Bute Building
- County Hall
With a mission to reduce congestion in the city and free up parking spaces, the scheme is already being made use of by the residents and tourists of the area.
Councillor Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Planning and Transport, is excited to see these plans come to fruition. Welcoming the scheme with open arms, he says:
“A bike hire scheme is a vital part of a true cycling city and I am delighted nextbike have recognised the great potential for cycling in Cardiff.
“When we announced the scheme was coming to Cardiff we asked residents to get in touch with us and give their feedback on where the bikes should be located.“All of the feedback has been considered as we have planned the future phases of the scheme.
Although London has been a key focus for authorities looking to limit congestion and air pollution, it appears Cardiff has been on the radar for many years. Already boasting a wonderful community of cyclists, the city can expert to further strengthen its love for both fitness and ethical transport.
“We’ve seen in London how their bike scheme really increased the accessibility and visibility of bikes and we think Nextbike will do the same for Cardiff. Cardiff is a compact and relatively flat city so cycling is a good option for shorter journeys. This scheme is only part of the Cabinet’s plans to improve the cycling infrastructure to encourage people that live in or close to the city to leave their cars at home and consider alternative options” Wild continues.
Just as thrilled to see Cardiff’s bike hire scheme take off is Nextbikes, believing the city to enjoy a huge number of benefits as a result of this introduction.
Julian Scriven, MD of Nextbike UK, said:
“It’s exciting to see the bikes start to roll out in Cardiff. From reducing congestion and creating new jobs, to improving health and mobility, bike-share is having a real impact wherever it goes.
“Our research shows that bike sharing users spend more at local stores, property prices by docking stations increase and car parking demand falls, as does congestion and the resulting pollution.”
Let us know what you think, will 50 bikes really make much of a difference? Leave your thoughts with us.
