Brighton welcomes electric bike rental scheme Beryl

The first wave of the Beryl BTN e-bikes roll out this morning, with 75 bicycles now available to hire from 19 hubs.

Some 780 e-bikes will be available by the end of the year, with a consultation on adding 15 more hubs to increase coverage due soon.

And Brighton Friends of the Earth' Chris Todd says it will help make our city more accessible.

Beryl launches its e-bike rental scheme in Brighton today (Image: Beryl)

“It will make hilly Brighton feel more like Holland or Denmark,” he said.

“Electric bikes flatten hills and make it a lot easier to travel further. The Beryl bikes will help show how accessible Brighton and Hove can be by bike.

“The evidence shows people do use them more and travel further.

“I think it will also show the demand for safer facilities, in terms of safer spaces, for people to ride around the city – I know a number of people who don’t really cycle but would do if it was safer.”

Chris hopes the rental bikes will encourage people to get an e-bike instead of a second car.

Chris Todd welcomes the new scheme

Graham Rowe, co-founder of Elctrc at Brighton Marina, said although the scheme could harm his businesses, it is good for the community.

“Across the country, there is evidence that electric bike hire schemes damage the private sector, but I’m delighted the council is thinking about active travel,” he said.

“The nature of our city is hilly and windy so it lends itself to e-bikes. The bikes we sell are of a higher quality with better, more powerful motors and longer range batteries and we remain hopeful that the local authority scheme will encourage more people to get their own e-bike.”

Riders can hire the e-bikes by downloading the Beryl app on their phones, where the current rate is set at 15p per minute.

The bikes are designed to be used inside a specific zone within a city. The boundary runs along the seafront from Portslade to Rottingdean, up to Brighton and Hove Railway Stations. 

Riders can use the e-bikes outside the zone but will be charged £10 they are not locked back inside the boundary area. The extra hubs being brought in will open up more parts of the city.

Bikes left outside the zone for 24 hours will incur an £80 fee.

Left to right: Beryl boss Phil Ellis, councillor Jamie Lloyd, and council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty (Image: Beryl)

Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty hailed the introduction of Beryl BTN as a big win for his party.

“We’re really excited that the Bike Share scheme is returning with style,” he said.

“By introducing electric bikes for the first time, residents will soon be able to travel round the city - including the hilly areas of Hanover and Hangleton - with convenience and comfort, contributing to our healthier, greener city.

“This is yet another success introduced by our Green council, proving that when you vote Green, you get action.”