A new electric bike hire scheme in Aberdeen is to hit the city’s streets in the spring, it has been announced.
An initial roll-out of 350 ebikes from established ebike hire company Voi are to be available all over the city for people to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis via a smartphone app.
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “We look forward to the new ebike scheme starting around the city.
“This scheme will give local residents and visitors the opportunity to travel around the city without adding to their carbon footprint and will ensure Aberdeen is a cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit now and in the future.”
Library images from Voi showing what the ebikes in Aberdeen will look like.
Aberdeen City Council Net Zero, Environment and Transport vice convener Councillor Miranda Radley said: “It will be good seeing people use the new Voi ebikes around the city when the scheme starts.
“Voi have been working well in other cities and we are looking forward to them expanding their operations to Aberdeen when it launches in the Spring. The ebikes will provide people with another choice for how they move about our city, and I would encourage people to make use of them.”
People will be able to book an ebike through the Voi app on a pay-as-you-go basis. Riders will be able to locate nearby ebikes on their smartphone and scan the QR code to unlock and begin their rides. The ebike must be returned to a designated parking area which are marked on a map in the app.
A 350-strong fleet of coral-coloured e-bikes will be made up from the latest two models of ebike available:
- The Explorer 4 ebike with a larger metal basket and softer saddle that is easier to adjust;
- Explorer Light 1 which is 25% lighter than standard ebike models, designed for accessibility.
The scheme is being operated by Swedish-based operator Voi after a tender exercise to find a new operator by Aberdeen City Council. Voi already manages ebike hire schemes in Edinburgh and Glasgow and also operates in more than 100 cities across Europe, including London, Paris, and Stockholm.
Library images from Voi showing what the ebikes in Aberdeen will look like.
Jim Hubbard, Voi’s UK Head of Public Policy, said: “We’re delighted to be providing ebikes to help Aberdonians choose a safe, green, affordable way to travel.
“We will work closely with the Council and the community to ensure our service works for both riders and non-riders alike across the Granite City.
“Aberdeen has once again shown that our responsible approach delivers a scheme that benefits everyone – riders and non-riders alike. We look forward to continuing our growth in Scotland, supporting sustainable travel, boosting the economy and helping to reduce emissions.”
The Council will provide £200,000 to support the operation of the ebike hire scheme over the initial three-year contract period. This contribution will be drawn from the Low Emission Zone surplus.
The Council’s contribution is strictly for operational support and will not be used for the procurement of ebikes, which remains the responsibility of the preferred operator. The scheme is expected to become financially self-sustaining during the initial contract period, with no further public funding anticipated beyond the agreed contribution. There would no additional staffing costs to the Council.