The cycle hire scheme which is being trialled in Edinburgh for two years is to expand to include Stockbridge and Inverleith.
Since September last year 185,000 trips have been taken by 26,500 cyclists on Voi bikes.
From Tuesday evening there will be more than 700 e-bikes on Edinburgh streets with a further 100 to come during this month. This means the company will meet its target of having 800 e-bikes around the city.
The boundary of the scheme – which works on restricting the bikes outside a certain area – has now been pushed out to include Stockbridge and Inverleith, southwards to Ravelston Dykes and north to Newhaven.
The council says it is working with Voi to “manage demand for cycle parking responsibly”. It is part of the hire that riders must park the bike in a designated zone at the end of each ride. The app provides a photo of each parking location and guidance on what amounts to responsible parking.
Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, said: “I’m delighted that we’re moving to the next phase of our excellent cycle hire scheme. The uptake figures we’ve recorded since launching have been groundbreaking, showing an average of over 1,000 journeys per day. We saw our highest ever single total just last week, with almost 17,000 trips recorded across seven days. The data speaks for itself in terms of the scheme’s incredible popularity and success.
“We’re now reaching our original citywide target number for e-bikes, with the scheme covering large swathes of the Capital. It’s great to see people enjoying this convenient, economical, and environmentally friendly way to get around.
“Our dedication to improving our city for everyone is further underlined by our ambitious City Mobility Plan and our serious approach to tackling the climate emergency.”
James Bolton, General Manager for Voi in the UK, said: “We’re delighted that Voi has already become an integral part of Edinburgh’s sustainable transport network.
“Since launching, we’ve delivered over 185,000 journeys, travelling roughly 450,000 kilometres, the equivalent of 11 laps around the world, and replaced over 35,000 car trips.
“We’ve worked closely with the council and stakeholders to introduce parking locations that keep pavements clutter-free while offering our riders freedom.
“We’ll continue responsibly developing the scheme, in collaboration with the council, to keep Edinburgh moving.”
