Beryl Bikes Arrive in Hereford

From Westfields to Portfields and everything in between, Hereford’s residents and visitors will be able to get a lungful of fresh air on Beryl Bikes in time for summer.

The British urban cycling brand has announced the launch date of its innovative hybrid bike share scheme that is already helping create greener cities in London, Bournemouth and Poole.

To ensure smooth operations, Beryl will be working with local cycle delivery and logistics partner Pedicargo. Pedicargo is a leading bike logistics company, and demonstrate the innovation needed to meet climate and transport challenges in our towns and cities. Pedicargo will develop bespoke cargo bicycles to service and redistribute Beryl Bikes within Hereford.

An initial rollout of 75 bicycles will begin on Monday 29th of July, before 150 Beryl emerald bikes will be available for business and pleasure across the city. To hire a Beryl Bike, users must use the Beryl app, available for download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users. The bikes can be picked up and dropped off in marked ‘Beryl Bays’ that have been selected and approved in conjunction with Herefordshire Council, to ensure the scheme is in line with the needs of the community. With Beryl Bays positioned at key attractions and transport hubs like Hereford Railway Station, Old Market and Hereford Cathedral, there will always be a bike nearby.

Riders will have a payment choice of Pay-As-You-Ride (£1 unlock fee + 5p per minute), Minute Bundles (no unlock fee and bundles starting at 100 minutes for £5) or Day Passes (24 hours of unlimited riding for £12). Once their ride is complete, users simply close the lock on the bike to complete their ride and make it available for the next person to use.

The three-speed gear bike has a step-through design suitable for riders from 4’11” to 6’5”. They are also fitted with the company’s patented Laserlight Technology, combining a bright, dynamo-powered white light with a green laser projection, visible at night. This allows riders to be seen in blind spots and forewarn pedestrians that they’re on the road when riding in the dark.

Through the custom-built reporting dashboard, Beryl will be able to provide Herefordshire Council with valuable insights from the data generated by the bikes. This will help local authorities plan and grow their cycling infrastructure, based on accurate journey data.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, said: “The new Beryl Bikes scheme will be a fantastic addition to the many active travel options offered through our Choose How you Move project. They will make short journeys in and across the city much easier, reduce congestion and vehicle emissions, and help to get more people out and about using healthy, active, sustainable transport.

“We’re delighted to welcome the first 75 Beryl Bikes to Hereford and look forward to a further 75 arriving soon. The bikes will make travelling around Hereford both easier and healthier for local people and visitors, and the local environment will benefit from reduced pollution and better air quality.”

Phil Ellis, Beryl CEO, said: “We’re excited to bring bike share to Hereford for the first time and make it easy and fun to get around the city by bike. Hereford is the perfect place for cycling and we’re pleased to be working with a dedicated and committed team at the Council to bring this project to life.”

For more information on Beryl’s innovative hybrid bike share scheme, please visit beryl.cc/bikeshare