BERYL bikes have clocked up more than a million kilometres since their introduction to Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

The milestone has been reached just 15 months after the distinctive green bikes were first seen in the area.

And it has been reached due to the popularity of the bike share scheme, which sees members of the public able to hire a bike for as long - or short - a period as they like.

There are around 1,000 Beryl bikes in the area which can be collected or dropped off at more than 200 bays.

Riders use the app to unlock the bike at the cost of £1. It then costs 5p a minute to hire it. A day pass costs £12 and bundles of minutes can also be bought.

The one million kilometres cycled equates to a potential CO2 saving of 22,142 tonnes throughout the area.

The scheme was launched in Bournemouth and Poole in June 2019 and Beryl recently won the competitive tender that allowed it to extend the service area into the Christchurch conurbation with an additional 275 bikes and 50 new Beryl Bays.

Beryl played a major role in keeping NHS staff and frontline workers across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole moving throughout COVID-19 lockdown. With BCP Council sponsorship, from early April, key workers were able to enjoy free bay-to-bay rides to help them get to work.

As lockdown measures continued to ease the enthusiasm to get on a bike grew with nearly 150,000 trips being taken between April and September.

Ridership on Beryl Bikes is likely to grow even further with Beryl, Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth announcing a partnership. The partnership will see the organisations offer students and staff at the universities access to Beryl Bikes at free and discounted prices.

The partnership starts with a limited offer to get 200 Minutes Free, with the intention to help those returning to Bournemouth Universities access safe alternative transportation that similarly reduces strain on other public transport options and aids the area’s social distancing measures.

Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Infrastructure at BCP Council, said: "Over one million rides on Beryl Bikes locally is fantastic. We have such a beautiful county - to explore it by bike is an amazing experience, or simply using a Beryl to get to the shops or train station is such as easy option for everyone with our recently expanded service."

Beryl CEO Philip Ellis said: "The bikes have been warmly received since day one and it’s been incredible to see the large shift in journey habits and attitudes to greener alternatives. We’re looking forward to launching future cycling initiatives with BCP Council that will continue the district’s green recovery from COVID-19 and help make Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole a healthier and happier place to ride.”

Those using Beryl Bikes are encouraged to wash their hands immediately before and after use, stay two metres away from others whilst cycling and not to ride in large groups.