The UK’s leading micromobility provider has today launched ten bikes and six parking bays at the Dorset Innovation Park and Wool station with further bays available nearby in Wool and Bovington.
Funded by £57,500 from the South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Fund (CCIF) and £15,000 from Dorset & Wool Parish Council, the scheme aims to encourage more people to leave their car at home when commuting to and from the park.
The bikes will give workers the option of a 10 minute cycle ride either to or from Wool railway station, normally a 40 minute walk.
The park currently employs 804 people across 36 companies and is set for a £14.6m investment after Dorset Council approved funding last week. This could add a further 1,200 jobs in years to come.
The scheme will also complement local bus services, boosting access to nearby visitor attractions such as Bovington tank museum, Monkey World, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.
Beryl CEO and cofounder, Phil Ellis, said: “One of our core aims is to inspire more people to take up sustainable travel options, reducing road congestion and improving air quality and public health.
“Not only will this scheme provide seamless integration with local rail services for the hundreds of workers at Dorset Innovation Park, it will also help people get around the local areas in a fun, sustainable and cost-effective manner.
“As with all of our schemes, this has been designed to provide the best possible service for users by being delivered both in partnership with the local authority and in consultation with communities and key stakeholders.
“With the longer days and warmer weather now upon us, it really is an excellent time for people to give the scheme a try.”
South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund Manager, Veronika Krcalova, said: “South Western Railway is excited to be joining with Beryl, Wool Parish Council and Dorset Council to deliver this new project.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to support the communities that we serve, and this initiative will allow more people to leave their cars at home and complete their journey using the railway and bikes – both sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to travel.”
Riders can hire a Beryl Bike through the Beryl app, available for download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users. The bikes can be picked up and dropped off in marked ‘Beryl Bays’, which can be found via the app.
Riders have a payment choice of Pay-As-You-Ride (£1 unlock fee + 5p per minute), Minute Bundles (no unlock fee and bundles starting at 100 minutes for £5) or Day Passes (24 hours of unlimited riding for £12). Once their ride is complete, users simply close the lock on the bike to complete their ride and make it available for the next person to use.