The city’s bike, e-bike and e-scooter share provider is launching a one day only promotion to celebrate the occasion, offering everyone a free 25 minute ride on Saturday 22 April.*

A special Earth Day event will also be held on Westlegate, offering instructor-led bike and e-scooter tryouts and promoting sustainable travel as a way of reducing traffic congestion and harmful carbon dioxide emissions. 

Scheme partner National Grid will also be present, complementing the sustainable travel message. It will showcase its free When To Plug In app, which tells you when Britain’s electricity mix will be cleanest, and therefore when devices – including e-bikes – can be charged to make the most of the green power available.  

Beryl ESG and Sustainability Manager, Sophie Noakes, said: “Climate change is a huge issue and we must ensure we continue to be part of the solution by encouraging as many people as possible to switch to more sustainable forms of transport. 

“Our vehicles are powered by either people or electricity so our daily operations not only support the aims and values of Earth Day, they also play a big role in decarbonising the UK’s transport system.

“This is especially true in Norwich, where we are closing in on 1,000,000 user journeys since launch and have had a significant impact in improving air quality and getting people active.

Rhian Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer at National Grid, said: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with this scheme in Norwich to help people make more sustainable choices and celebrate the importance of Earth Day.

“Community initiatives like this are a great way to help tackle emissions and traffic congestion, and really resonate with National Grid’s own sustainability values and our passionate commitment to the clean energy transition.”

An international event held annually since 1970, Earth Day unites millions of people from around the world in support of the environment, highlighting the urgent action we need to take to save our planet. 

By partnering with the UK’s largest electricity transmission and distribution business, National Grid, Beryl aims to increase the number and reach of schemes across the city designed to get people swapping four wheels for two. 

The partnership, which involves National Grid sponsoring Beryl’s Norwich electric fleet, was launched in December 2022 and enables Beryl to run more projects with businesses, charities and community groups, making sustainable travel even more accessible.

By boosting this work, the partnership helps further reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions, while improving mental and physical health and air quality in Norwich.

A B-Corp registered company, Beryl is recognised for meeting exceptional standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. 

Launched as a bike share scheme in March 2020, e-bikes were added to the Norwich scheme on Monday 27 July 2020, followed by e-scooters on Monday 25 January 2021.

Feedback from riders (over 4,000 responses) tells us that over a quarter (27%) of their Beryl journeys have replaced road transport journeys, including driving or being a passenger in a car or using a taxi or a motorbike.

Based on industry calculations, our bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters in Norwich have, so far, saved almost 143 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since their arrivals – the equivalent of nearly 836 flights from London to Edinburgh.

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

E-scooter riders are required to provide a valid UK Driving Licence to participate. They are also asked to provide feedback on their experiences using the vehicles to support data learnings on operating the service.

Beryl e-scooters can be used on roads, cycle lanes, carriageways and other areas where cycling is permitted but not on pavements. Every Beryl e-scooter has vehicle approval from the Department for Transport (DfT), ensuring it meets the highest safety standards. The trial will currently run until May 2024 and Beryl will continue to consult with key organisations as it progresses.

For more information on Beryl’s innovative bike share scheme, please visit beryl.cc/scheme/norwich 

*The offer is available to new and existing riders and comprises no unlock fee and the first 25 minutes of any ride for free. It is limited to 1 ride per rider and valid only for rides in Norwich starting between 00:01 and 23:59 on 22 April.