A scheme where people can hire electric bicycles on the street in Bristol has been put on hold because of 'extensive and relentless levels of vandalism', the organisers have announced.
The Big Issue Bikes scheme saw a fleet of 400 e-bikes on the streets of Bristol, with people able to hire, unlock and ride them using an app on their phones. But within six months, those 400 bikes were reduced to just 200 useable bikes in service because they keep getting vandalised.
The sheer scale of the damage has shocked organisers - they have seen more ebikes damaged in Bristol than in all the other places around the world the scheme is operating combined - and the equivalent of the entire fleet of bikes gets destroyed in Bristol every two weeks.
How it started: Big Issue launches e-bike scheme in February 2022
A spokesperson for the scheme, which was set up by the Big Issue as a not-for-profit partnership with Norwegian micro-mobility experts ShareBike, said they had 'not taken the decision lightly', but could not continue with the levels of damage and theft.
In a statement, Big Issue eBikes said: "It is with sincere regret that we are announcing a pause to our current open, public-rental e-bike service in Bristol, from the coming weekend, August 20-21. Since we launched in the city six months ago, we have experienced extensive and relentless levels of vandalism to our e-bikes. We have taken many measures to try to overcome this issue, including making changes to the design of the e-bikes and trying to work with the local authorities, the police and our subscriber community. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the vandalism has not reduced.
"Having begun with a fleet of over 400, we currently have around 200 e-bikes on the street and approximately 10% of these are damaged every day. In practice, this means that our entire fleet is vandalised every two weeks. We have more e-bikes destroyed in Bristol in one week than in all our facilities combined anywhere else in the world.
"It is disappointing that the actions of a minority of people means we are left with no choice but to pause the current scheme. This is not a decision we have made lightly. Big Issue eBikes was set up as a not-for-profit partnership between Norwegian micro mobility experts ShareBike and the Big Issue to deliver ‘biking for good’ in Bristol – providing sustainable and affordable electric cycling in the city whilst creating job opportunities and training for long-term unemployed people," they said.
Back in February 2022, Bristol was launched by the scheme's organisers as the first place in Britain to host such a scheme, the first since the days of the ultimately unsuccessful YoBikes scheme from the late 2010s. But within weeks of the launch, the organisers restricted the area people could ride the bikes, taking large parts of South Bristol off the map on the app.
"Bristol was chosen as the first city in the UK to offer the service because of its green credentials and aspirations. In the short-term, we are planning to provide an alternative service, offering businesses and individuals long-term rental of our electric bikes. This means that anyone signing up will have exclusive use of specific e-bikes, which can be taken home or to work - and be stored safely - with BigIssue eBikes providing the maintenance and repairs.
"We urge the local authorities – namely Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority – and Avon and Somerset Police to work with us to see if there is a way to avoid a permanent removal of our current public rental service from the city’s mix of safe and affordable green transport options. It is clear to us that if this issue is not fixed with our e-bikes, Bristol will be a no-go zone for all providers looking to introduce e-bike options," they added.
"Since we first launched the service in February 2022, over 7,000 people have registered to use Big Issue e-bikes. We would like to thank our regular and many customers for their support and apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment that we know this announcement will cause. We sincerely hope that this is a temporary decision and that, with the support of the police and local authorities, we are able to resume and increase the open, public rental service in Bristol," they said.
Read more: Stockholm imposes e-scooter restrictions as future of Bristol Voi trial uncertain
Also read: Hartcliffe farm to open to public 'in the spring' after lease is signed
Read more: The Big Issue launches its first ever eBikes scheme in Bristol
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here.
