On Saturday 16 and Sunday 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.

The scheme has had a significant impact in breaking down the barriers to active travel for people. It has, so far, amassed more than 1,328,000 journeys across nearly 3,885,000km - the equivalent of nearly 100 trips around the Earth. 

It has also had a significant impact on reducing traffic congestion, with user feedback showing that, on average, nearly a quarter of all Beryl journeys have replaced those that would have been taken in a car, van, taxi or motorbike. 

According to industry calculations, that has saved over 176 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions, which is a major contribution towards improving the quality of the region’s air.

Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “With three modes available under one app, Norwich is one of our flagship schemes and the numbers show that it has had a huge impact on people, on traffic congestion levels and on the environment.

“Rider feedback consistently tells us that, by offering our riders a choice of modes each with different benefits and appeals, we encourage people to ride more and swap their private car journeys for Beryl ones.

“To celebrate and to say thank you to the region for embracing the scheme, we’re offering riders a chance to make some great savings in Norwich across our birthday weekend.

“If you haven’t tried shared transport yet, then why not give it a go - it could revolutionise the way you travel.” 

Councillor Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport said; “Reducing individual car travel within our urban areas plays a key role in us achieving our ambitious net-zero targets. The beryl scheme is proving to be a highly valuable tool helping people to make the transition to more sustainable modes of travel in Greater Norwich and now with more than 150 bays holding beryl bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters the scheme is really well known across the city and beyond.  

“With bays as far out as Hethersett, Drayton and Wymondham more and more people have the choice to use this fantastic flexible travel mode. I’m thrilled that after four years the scheme continues to grow and is still gaining hundreds of new riders every month.”

The popularity of the Norwich scheme saw it surpass the 1m journey milestone last summer and expand to new areas, including Hethersett and Norwich Airport.

The Beryl Annual Rider Report 2023 showed some significant trends for riders in the scheme, with 44% cycling more often or much more often since joining Beryl, 35% reducing their use of cars and 50% reducing their use of taxis. Also, 61% of riders said that they had used a Beryl vehicle to replace a car, van, motorcycle or taxi journey (either as a driver or a passenger).

The report also showed an encouraging increase in the number of riders with a disability in Norwich (13%), an increase of 4% compared to 2022. Encouragingly, 81% of riders with a disability in Norwich also said that Beryl vehicles have allowed them to make trips that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make.

Funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, the scheme launched on Tuesday 17 March 2020 with bikes and e-bikes. E-scooters were added in September 2020 as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) e-scooter trials.

Beryl’s Norwich scheme is run in partnership with the UK’s largest electricity transmission and distribution business, National Grid, who are committed to decarbonising the energy system as part of a clean, fair, and affordable transition that leaves no-one behind.

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. 

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