New bike and e-scooter hire deal will save West Mids £1.4m a year

 Lime has won the contract to operate rental bikes and e-scooters in the West Midlands. It will take over from Beryl, whose three-year contract will finish at the end of March. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said this will be the first  time a bike and e-scooter hire scheme runs with no cost to the taxpayer. TfWM said that until now, cycle hire has cost it £1.4m a year to run.

The contract will run to 31 January 2031, with a possible extension to 31 March 2036.

Under the new arrangement, more than 2,000 bikes and e-scooters are set to be available, but hire prices could be set to rise under new pricing. However, TfWM says Lime has committed to maintaining existing overall price levels for the  first two years.

From 1 April, Lime bikes will be available across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

E-scooters will operate only in Birmingham and on the University of Warwick campus as is currently the case.

TfWM said full details of the scheme are being finalised and will be announced, along with the launch of a new app for customers, closer to the start of the new service.

A regional cycle hire scheme has been in operation in the West Midlands since March 2021, mainly focused on pedal bikes while the e-scooter scheme has been delivered as part of the DfT trial since August 2023.

Lime runs bike hire or e-scooter schemes in over 200 cities in nearly 30 countries. It operates schemes in London, Manchester, Mllton Keynes, Nottingham and Oxford.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “By bringing in a brand-new fleet of bikes and scooters and freezing prices for the next two years, we’re making sure there’s a practical and affordable green alternative for shorter journeys  - helping to tackle traffic congestion and improve the air we breathe.

“And by securing a partnership that operates at no cost to the taxpayer, we are saving the public purse more than £1m a year. This is money we can now reinvest back into our regional transport, delivering better journeys for everyone.”