E-Bikes

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is seeking to provide residents and visitors with a wider range of sustainable, accessible and affordable travel options, particularly for short-distance journeys. Encouraging a shift away from private car use supports both local and national policy objectives relating to decarbonisation, air quality improvement, and public health outcomes.

Travel behaviour data consistently shows that a significant proportion of car trips are relatively short in length. National evidence indicates that approximately 70% of car journeys are under five miles, and around 25% are less than one mile. Many of these trips have the potential to be undertaken by alternative modes, provided that convenient, reliable and attractive options are available.

In Stoke-on-Trent, factors such as topography, perceived travel time, and accessibility barriers can limit the uptake of traditional cycling. Electrically assisted bicycles (e-bikes) offer a practical solution to these challenges by reducing physical effort, extending feasible travel distances, and making cycling more inclusive for a broader range of users, including those with lower fitness levels or mobility constraints.

The scheme will provide residents and visitors with a convenient, accessible and sustainable alternative to private car use, particularly for short-distance journeys, while supporting the Council's wider transport, environmental and public health objectives.

The key objectives are to:

• Appoint a delivery partner to design, implement and operate an e-bike hire scheme within the city, based on a commercially viable model

• Introduce a fleet of approximately 800-1,000 e-bikes, scaled appropriately to ensure visibility, accessibility and network coverage across key locations within Stoke-on-Trent

• Improve local connectivity by enabling short trips between residential areas, town centres, transport hubs, employment sites and visitor destinations

• Encourage modal shift away from private car use, contributing to reduced congestion, improved air quality and lower carbon emissions

• Increase participation in cycling by overcoming barriers such as topography and fitness levels through the use of electrically assisted bicycles

• Ensure high-quality service delivery, including reliable availability, effective maintenance, and appropriate parking controls (e.g. geo-fencing) to minimise negative impacts on the public realm

• Secure robust data sharing arrangements to enable monitoring of usage, performance, and outcomes, supporting ongoing evaluation and future decision-making

• Minimise financial risk to the Council by seeking a commercially sustainable model, with no requirement for ongoing subsidy where possible

• Enable future scalability, allowing the scheme to expand or adapt based on demand, performance and funding opportunities