Tomorrow (Friday 17 March), riders across all modes will automatically get their unlock fee waived and their first ten minutes free (one per user) as a thank you for helping to make the scheme a major success. This is for current users as well as new users who may wish to give them a try for the first time. 

Launched on Tuesday 17 March 2020, the scheme has amassed 900,000 journeys across nearly 2,700,000km - the equivalent of over 67 trips around the Earth. Figures show that the scheme is going from strength to strength, with the overall number of rides in the last year up by 39% compared to the scheme’s second year and 379% compared to the scheme’s first year. 

User feedback shows that, on average, 23.2% of journeys have replaced road transport journeys such as using or being a passenger in a car, van, taxi or motorbike. According to industry calculations, that has saved almost 570 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions, the equivalent of almost 3329 flights between London and Edinburgh. 

Its popularity has seen the scheme recently install several new bays to make the scheme even more accessible, including eight at the University of East Anglia, two additional bays in Wymondham, as well as two new locations Drayton and Hethersett having their first bays installed. 

Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “The numbers, especially in the past year, show that users have really embraced the Norwich scheme and it is having a big impact on reducing congestion and improving air quality. 

“By offering people the choice of three forms of sustainable transport under one app - the first scheme to do so in the country - we aimed to broaden the appeal of active travel solutions. 

“Each type of transport has its own benefits and appeals, meaning that when they are delivered as a package, they can complement each other. 

“I’m confident that we can continue to improve and expand the scheme and encourage even more people to make the switch from four wheels to two.”

Councillor Lana Hempsall, Sustainable Transport Champion for Norfolk County Council said: “The green bikes and e-scooters are now well known across Norwich and with more than 100 bays across the city, as well as getting around 1000 new riders per month, it really does continue to go from strength to strength. 

“Getting cars off the road is key to us achieving our ambition net-zero targets and the Beryl scheme is proving to be a highly valuable tool in helping people to make the transition to more sustainable modes of travel.” 

Funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, the scheme launched with bikes and e-bikes before e-scooters were added in September 2020 as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) e-scooter trials.

You can hire a Beryl Bike, e-Bike or e-scooter through the Beryl app, available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users. 

Beryl currently partners with UK’s largest electricity transmission and distribution business, National Grid, to further champion sustainability schemes in Norwich.

For more information on Beryl schemes, please visit beryl.cc/bikeshare.