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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
John Paul Clark

Edinburgh Council plan return of cycle hire scheme - months after JustEat bikes disappeared

Edinburgh Council are holding a consultation on the city bike rental scheme after the contract with Serco ended last year.

The scheme was launched in 2018, with sponsorship from Just Eat, and was initially hugely successful.

Tourists and local residents used the rental bikes but the costs began to ramp up due to vandalism.

READ MORE: Edinburgh's five Covid hotspots confirmed as restrictions ease across Scotland

Serco and Edinburgh Council became embroiled in a war of words over who ended the contract in September last year, but it seems spiralling costs were to blame.

But now the council want to get rental bikes back out onto the streets and are asking local people to get involved.

The new survey asks Edinburgh residents about their experiences using the Just Eat bikes, routes they used and passes they bought.

It can be accessed through Edinburgh Council's website.

Council leader Adam McVey last year pledged that the council would work hard to find a way forward for the scheme.

He said: “We are very disappointed that Serco have opted to walk away from the popular shared bike hire scheme in Edinburgh.

“When the bike hire scheme was first introduced the commitment was to operate it with no public funding and it is highly regrettable that Serco will not continue the scheme on that basis.

“The council recognises that the bike hire scheme has helped more people get access to bikes, enjoying the benefits of fast, reliable, healthier journeys around town.

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