From Monday 12 September, a new fleet of fifty e-bikes will be available to hire across the town via the Beryl app.
The e-bikes can be hired from and returned to 20 ‘Beryl Bays’, which have been located following consultation with communities and key stakeholders.
The scheme will be operated by Beryl on behalf of Cornwall Council and has been funded by the Council’s Carbon Neutral Cornwall fund.
Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “Cornwall is undoubtedly a fantastic place for people to take advantage of our e-bikes so I’m delighted that we’re up and running.
“E-bikes are a really fun and versatile way to travel and their extra power can really open up areas, enabling riders to tackle hills and undertake longer journeys.
“They’re also great for commuting, helping to reduce physical exertion and allowing people to arrive at work clean and ready to go.
“By swapping the car for an e-bike journey you’re not only boosting your own health and fitness, you’re also helping to reduce congestion and harmful carbon emissions, so why not give it a try.”
Philip Desmonde, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said:
“I am delighted that we will be able to bring this scheme to residents in these five areas. I hope it will encourage more people to leave the car at home and use pedal power - with a little assistance!
“This supports our ambitions to give residents choices about how they travel short distances – in Falmouth alone almost half of all car journeys to work are of less than 5km. Taking these journeys by e-bike can help make a difference not just to our environment, but our health too. This can be a fun way to travel, avoiding traffic congestion and the stress of finding somewhere to park. In most cases it’s also cheaper than driving short distances.
I do hope that when you have made your first use of this alternative way of travelling within your local area, you will become an avid fan – please try and enjoy!”
The scheme will expand further over the coming months to Newquay, Penzance, St Austell and Truro, with each Cornish town set to welcome a new fleet of 50 e-bikes.
- Users can pay for their journeys in a variety of ways to suit individual needs and circumstances.
- Pay As You Ride is best for single journeys or occasional rides and will cost users £1.50 unlocking fee and 10p per minute
- Minute Bundles enable regular users to buy upfront and save money, starting at 80 minutes for £5
- Day Passes are suitable for people on long days out and offer people unlimited riding over a 24-hour-period for £20
The Beryl app is available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users.
For more information, visit beryl.cc