Liverpool’s CityBike scheme has been shortlisted for the final of the 2015 Smarter Travel Awards in Birmingham.
The city’s bike hire scheme is the largest public bicycle scheme outside of London. The scheme has over 100 stations and 650 bikes all over Liverpool with the first being launched in May 2014.
Tim Caswell, Managing Director of hourbike, which has been commissioned by Liverpool City Council to operate the CityBike scheme, said that being selected for the final of the Smarter Travel Awards is a real honour.
He told JMU Journalism: “Demand has been strong since the launch, with just over 30,000 hires in 10 months. As a result we were able to install our first 100 stations ahead of schedule.
“This year we have plans to increase the number of stations in the city to make it even more convenient for people to make their local journeys using CityBike.”
The Smarter Travel Awards are taking place in Birmingham on 5th February, where Liverpool’s CityBike scheme has been shortlisted in the Best Shared Mobility Service Provider Award category.
This award recognises the contribution made by shared mobility providers to sustainable transport, such as car clubs, ride-sharing matching services, public hire bike services and technological systems that make multi-modal travel practical for the general public.
Caswell added: “Being shortlisted already demonstrates just how quickly the scheme has become established and how the benefit to people using citybike and to the local transport infrastructure is already being felt.”
Work is underway to expand the scheme even wider so that stations can be placed in residential areas of Liverpool in hope that it will increase access to employment in the city.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “To be shortlisted for the Smarter Travel Awards is a great honour and one which we are immensely proud of.
“You see CityBikes everywhere now and it is fantastic. They are cheap to hire, easy to use and there is usually a station not far from where you are or where you are going.”
CityBike hire costs from £3-a-day with top-ups costing £1 per hour. The scheme also offers weekly and yearly memberships.