A NEW e-bike hire scheme will begin in Bradford in spring after getting approval from council bosses.

The scheme will be set up using money raised from Bradford’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the council will now look for an operator for the scheme.

Announced last month, the scheme was rubber-stamped by the Bradford Council’s Executive at a meeting on Tuesday.

It would allow cyclists to hire e-bikes from docking stations – due to be located at significant locations in the district - and return them to either the same or another docking station when done.

Around £800,000 of CAZ cash will be used to set up and market the scheme, and it is hoped that after 18 months it will either be profitable or “self-sustaining". 

If the scheme does become profitable, income will be split between the operator and the council.

A report to the Executive said: “The scheme will be monitored and evaluated by the council over the period of initial scheme subsidy, and should a scheme operator be unable to maintain and operate the scheme to the satisfaction of the council then a decision to discontinue the scheme will be agreed.”

At Tuesday’s meeting Andrew Whittles, assistant director for sustainability, said: “The Clean Air Zone money has to be spent in line with the terms of the charging scheme, and cycling is one area where we are allowed to spend this money.

“We’ve seen with the many other schemes developed in the UK that it takes around 18 months to become sustainable.”

He said Bradford University and Bradford College had both expressed interest in sponsoring the scheme, as had Bradford 2025.

And the NHS was keen to be involved, with possible docking bays at local hospitals.

When it begins, the scheme would have up to 200 e-bikes at 50 docking stations across the district.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive for healthy people and places, said: “This is a brilliant scheme. More and more people are using bikes.

“You see people lugging bikes on and off trains in the city centre. This scheme means people will be able to pick up a bike when they get off a train and continue their journey.”

She said e-bikes were chosen over regular push bikes due to the hilly landscape of the district.

The report acknowledged that theft and vandalism were a “key consideration” when planning the schemes and docking stations may need to be located near CCTV cameras.