E-BIKES have been added to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole hire scheme in a move that aims to “break down even more barriers” to car alternatives.

Beryl has announced its BCP Council-wide scheme will now be bolstered by 20 e-bikes across the conurbation.

The new offering was rolled out from Friday, July 22, and it is hoped that numbers will increase to meet demand if they prove a popular addition.

The conurbation is now the only the second area in the country, after Norwich, to offer three forms of sustainable transport – e-scooters, push bikes and e-bike – under the same scheme.

Beryl chief executive and co-founder Phil Ellis said: “By boosting people’s options and making our scheme even more accessible, we can hopefully continue to get more people out of the car and onto two wheels.

“E-bikes can help us break down even more barriers to sustainable travel and that can only be a positive thing as we work with BCP Council to help reduce congestion, improve public health and boost air quality.

“We are launching a small initial fleet this week, but we hope through working with the council, that we can ramp those numbers up if the e-bikes prove to be popular.

“So with the warm weather, long days and sky-high petrol prices, now is the perfect time to saddle up and give e-bikes a try.”

Beryl said one of the main benefits of using an e-bike is that electric assistance kicks in once the rider begins to pedal. This extra power can help riders tackle hills and complete longer journeys.

It is also said to be useful for commuting, helping to reduce physical exertion and allowing workers to arrive at work clean and ready to go.

Cllr Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for transport and sustainability, said: “Beryl bikes and e-scooters are proving to be an incredibly popular and efficient way of getting around locally and I’m delighted that even more people will be able to enjoy travelling sustainably and actively using these brand new e-bikes.

“They offer a range of benefits including enabling people with disabilities to enjoy cycling, and helping people ride further and with less physical exertion.

“BCP Council is a trailblazer for micromobility in the south and I’m looking forward to seeing the e-bikes in action this summer.”

Beryl said its annual demographic survey in August last year, which generated more than 1,000 responses from users, reported that e-bikes were preferred to e-scooters and push bikes for commuting, shopping or running errands.

The e-bikes can be hired through the Beryl app, available on on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users, with pricing the same as an e-scooters but more than a push bike.

There is a £1.50 unlocking fee for an e-bike, 50 pence more than a push bike, while it costs a further 10 pence per minute if using the pay as you ride feature.

Beryl still offers bulk minute bundles, which are the same price across the three forms of transport - £5 for 100 minutes, £10 for 200 minutes, £15 for 300 minutes and £20 for 400 minutes.