RESIDENTS of a third Scottish city can now access Voi hire e-bikes.
The firm has launched a new fleet in Aberdeen, after success in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The expansion, which was first announced in March, brings an initial 350 bikes to the north-east city, with more planned in the future.
The firm is also celebrating hitting a major milestone in Scotland, with more than one million rides registered across Edinburgh and Glasgow since they launched in September and November respectively.
In the capital alone the bikes had been used for almost 600,000 (590,563) trips.
Aberdeen City Council chief officer of strategic place planning David Dunne said: “It’s fantastic to see the new Voi e-bikes launched in Aberdeen.
“It is good to give people another option for getting about the city and the electric-assisted Voi bikes will make it easier to cycle about, especially up hills.
“We look forward to seeing people enjoy using them particularly during the summer months.”
Two types of e-bikes will be available, the explorer 4 and explorer light 1.
The explorer 4 is designed with a heavier, more stable frame as well as larger wheels to make longer journeys more comfortable, while the explorer light 1 is smaller and easier to handle, making it more accessible for smaller or less confident cyclists.
Harry Foskin, senior public policy manager at Voi, added: “We are delighted to have launched Voi e-bikes in Aberdeen, our third launch in Scotland in the past year.
"We look forward to seeing residents and visitors alike making Voi’s safe, sustainable and affordable e-bikes part of their everyday journeys in the Granite City.”
Aberdeen Council is supporting the rollout of the scheme with a fund of £200,000 over the initial three-year contract period. This contribution will be drawn from the Low Emission Zone surplus.
The scheme is expected to become financially self-sustaining during the initial contract period, with no further public funding anticipated beyond the agreed contribution. There would no additional staffing costs to the council.
In Aberdeen the bikes are available for rent at 18p per minute. You must be 16 or over to use the e-bikes and the firm prompts users in the app when starting a ride to remember key safety information, such as to wear a helmet and to avoid wearing headphones.
