New customers and a strong rentals for nextbike UK in 2020

Leading bike share provider nextbike UK saw a 50 per cent increase in registered riders during 2020 as more people opted for cycling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 115,000 new customers signed up to nextbike UK schemes last year, bringing the total number of customers across all UK schemes to 343,882, up from 228,665 in 2019.

And while the capacity of some of nextbike’s schemes was reduced at the height of the pandemic due to maintenance staff illness and absences, rental figures show an additional 68,000 rides were made between July and December 2020, versus the same period in 2019.

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Nextbike, which has schemes in Glasgow, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Penarth, Stirling and several universities including the Universities of Swansea, Warwick, Surrey and Brunel, offered free rides to key workers during the pandemic to help them get around safely.

It also made all 30 minute rides free for all riders in Glasgow, Milton Keynes, and Stirling for up to nine months, with support from local authorities and sponsors.

Cardiff took the crown as the best performing scheme in 2020, with 345,201 rentals, while Glasgow had four record-breaking months of rentals between July and October.

Other schemes that also saw new record rentals set in 2020 included Milton Keynes, the University of Swansea and the University of Surrey.

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The firm also launched the first public e-bike share scheme in Wales in the town of Penarth, with the ambition that the scheme will eventually link up with a similar e-bike scheme due to launch this year in nearby Cardiff.

Nextbike UK MD Krysia Solheim said she believed the pandemic had made people look carefully at their transport choices.

“Cycling remains the perfect way to travel whilst maintaining social distancing, which is why I think we saw so many new customers sign up to our schemes and continue to rent our bikes last year,” said Ms Solheim.

“Our schemes offered people the perfect way to make their essential journeys safely, without having to travel on crowded public transport.

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“Another factor during last year’s first lockdown was the vast reduction in traffic on the UK’s roads. Novice riders, or those who had not been on a bike for a number of years, had more time on their hands and the lack of traffic meant they felt more confident to give cycling a go. Pop up cycle lanes also helped with this.”

She said she believed that 2021 would continue to be an important year for active travel.

“Now that local authorities across the country have seen the appetite for cycling that exists amongst the general public, it’s vital that they pay heed and encourage cycling by making our towns and cities as cycle-friendly as possible - including introducing permanent infrastructure and giving the public access to bike share schemes, if they don’t already have one in place.

“Access to affordable bike share schemes not only improves people’s mobility options and their physical and mental health, but also brings environmental benefits such as helping to reduce CO2 emissions.

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“With the eyes of the world set to be on the UK later this year when the United Nations’ COP26 climate conference, it’s important that we make sure we’re setting a good example and embracing active travel wherever possible.”

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