Motorists in Liverpool have been encouraged to leave their cars at home and find a more sustainable form of transport.
As a part of International Car-Free Day, a range of stalls was out in force at Exchange Flags behind Liverpool Town Hall, to help inform the public of their local facilities, including the City Bike hire scheme
Project manager Robert Perry, from Liverpool City Council, told JMU Journalism: “Our main aim is to raise awareness and to allow people to try the bikes out and talk about the options available in the city.
“We want to show the viability of cycling and walking whilst promoting the positive environmental effect that these can have,” the 62-year-old added.
Estimating that the bikes had already travelled 100,000 miles since their introduction in May of this year, the scheme has gone from having 80 bikes to around 400 bikes in the city centre.
Mr Perry said: “We are beginning to contribute to carbon reductions in the city centre, as almost a fifth of journeys that would have been taken by car have been cut.”
Free safety checks for bicycles were also available and an electronic bike challenge also took place.
Cyclist Alison Hartley, 29, from the Wirral, said: “It’s my first time trying the bikes but they’re brilliant and in convenient places.”
City Bike is the largest public bicycle scheme outside of London and the cycles are available at £3 per day from a variety of locations.