Birmingham City Council is providing a number of local organisations with e-bikes in a bid to help increase cycling provision for vulnerable people and the wider community.
The council applied for funding through the DfT’s E-Cycle Extension Fund in December 2020.
Earlier this month, it was announced that almost £1.5 million will be made available to nine local authorities through the fund, with Birmingham City Council set to receive £199,000.
Among the organisations in Birmingham to benefit from the funding is the Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS), who will receive nine e-bikes for their ‘cycling on prescription’ scheme.
The scheme links the use of e-bikes to health benefits, working with local GP surgeries to provide people with long-term health conditions cycle training and bikes to help with their physical and mental wellbeing.
E-Bike Brum, based in Erdington, are also set to receive six e-bikes which will be leased to people in deprived areas of the city, who otherwise would not have access to cycling.
Midland Mencap will receive four adapted e-bikes to expand their city-wide park ride cycling provision for disabled users and their families.
Chris Coyle, Birmingham’s bicycle mayor, said: “It’s great to see that this funding will be used to support cycling provision for harder to reach groups including those with long-term health benefits, specific mobility requirements, and low incomes.”
Some of the funding will also be used to provide 16 e-bikes to the West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme in Birmingham, increasing the fleet size by 20%.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We are delighted to incorporate more E-bikes into the West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme.
“The scheme has already proven to be immensely popular across the West Midlands – not least in Birmingham – and I know E-bikes will only add to that popularity.”
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