Having this week celebrated the 6th birthday of London’s ‘Boris Bike’ it appears that we are a nation that is celebrating their love affair with cycling more and more each day, a new-found pastime that has rippled throughout the hire market.
This week Nextbike, the self-service bike rental scheme, celebrated hiring out their 250,000th bike in Bath, now regarded as integrated mode of transport for its city users. Seeing a shift in attitudes towards a more eco-friendly way of travelling the Nextbike owners are thrilled to be increasing in popularity.
Julian Scriven, General Director of Nextbike UK said: “Britain is slowly becoming a country that loves cycling. Little by little people are understanding that everyone can Nextbike, as bikes are comfortable for people of all abilities.
Supported by local councils such schemes are being rolled out all over the country, with government money backing projects that are ethically-driven.
“We are delighted that this milestone was achieved in Bath where it all began for us. Bath and North East Somerset Council has been very supportive of the scheme and it’s a real pleasure to work with them.
“We have observed a healthy increase in the number of users of Nextbike in Bath this year, and it goes on to show that Bath loves to cycle” he continued.
At present customers can pick up their bikes from the following destinations:
- Bath Spa railway station
- Bath Spa University
- Royal United Hospital
- And many more
Proving to be very popular amongst city workers, students as well as families looking for a fun day out this scheme does seem to solve part of our pollution issue, something that Councillor Anthony Clarke, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, is happy to see progress.
“I’m delighted with the uptake of the scheme which is proving popular with visitors and local residents alike.
“A quarter of a million rentals in the United Kingdom is quite an achievement, considering that a few years ago bike sharing was not common at all” she said.
Let us know what you think, will the popularity of this company rise or is the craze set to tail off? Share your comments with us.
