Beryl's Norwich scheme hits major double landmark
The UK's leading micromobility provider Beryl and scheme partners Norfolk County Council and National Grid are celebrating a significant double milestone for Norwich's innovative bike, e-bike and e-scooter share scheme.
Riders have now clocked up one million journeys over three million kilometres since the scheme was first launched in March 2020, the equivalent to nearly 75 journeys around the Earth.
Feedback from users shows that nearly a quarter (23.6%) of bike, e-bike and e-scooter journeys in Norwich have replaced road transport journeys - including driving a car/van, being a passenger in a car/van, using a taxi or riding a motorbike or moped.
According to industry calculations, this equates to over 156 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved; the equivalent of around 10,000 litres of petrol or more than 12 airline flights around the World.
Beryl CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: "We're really proud of our Norwich scheme, which was pioneering in terms of being the first shared transport scheme in the UK to offer multiple modes under the same app.
"The scheme has been incredibly popular and that has enabled us to expand it to places such as Wymondham, removing the barriers to sustainable transport for even more people.
"By offering people a sustainable alternative to the car, we're not only helping them to save money on expenses such as fuel, parking, storage, tax, MOT and maintenance, we're also enabling them to get more active and improve their mental and physical wellbeing.
"On top of that, we're also contributing towards reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, which is great news for the regional air quality."
Councillor Lana Hempsall, deputy cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport at Norfolk County Council said: "The green bikes and e-scooters are well known and increasingly popular across the greater Norwich area. With bays reaching Wymondham, Hethersett and Drayton now more people than ever can benefit from access to this fantastic sustainable travel mode.
"One million journeys is a huge achievement and with more than a quarter of those replacing car or van journeys the scheme really is a key part to us achieving our ambition net-zero targets and improving air quality for us all."
The findings of the latest Beryl Annual Rider Report, obtained from 804 riders in Norwich during September 2022, showed that, on average, 40% of all riders in Norwich had reduced their car usage since using Beryl.
The report also showed that riders in Norwich embrace variety and, compared to 2021, are much more likely to try multiple modes. The number of people riding bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters almost doubled to 50%, while the number of riders just using bikes fell dramatically from 25% to just 7%.
Launched as a bike share scheme in March 2020, e-bikes were added to the Norwich scheme on Monday 27 July 2020, followed by e-scooters on Monday 25 January 2021.
You can hire a Beryl Bike or an e-scooter through the Beryl app, available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users.
E-scooter riders are required to provide a valid UK Driving Licence to participate. They are also asked to provide feedback on their experiences using the vehicles to support data learnings on operating the service.
Beryl e-Scooters can be used on roads, cycle lanes, carriageways and other areas where cycling is permitted but not on pavements. Every Beryl e-Scooter has vehicle approval from the Department for Transport (DfT), ensuring it meets the highest safety standards. Beryl has and will continue to consult with key organisations as the trial progresses.
A B-Corp registered company, Beryl is recognised for meeting exceptional standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
For more information on Beryl's innovative bike share scheme, please visit the beryl website.