Ebike scheme to help employees return to work

As the UK prepares for life after lockdown, a new eBike initiative is hoping to offer a safe and environmentally friendly mode of transport for employers in the North East of England and Northern Ireland.

During the lockdown period, the number of people cycling has soured, and as more people return to work, but with social distancing reducing capacity on public transport, bikes for everyday transport is an attractive option for employees and businesses.

The eBike Ride Electric scheme offers a flexible and cost-effective long-term bike leasing option.

The bikes are fitted with a GPS Tracker to pinpoint the bike’s location and route tracking history and also provide journey statistics for carbon reduction and staff well being.

Sue Anderson, Ride Electric’s business development manager, said: ‘EBikes have revolutionised the way people travel in Europe and the time is now to fully embrace this technology in the UK.

‘We are all aware of the focus on bikes and walking as the solution to assist business staff in getting to work safely during the crisis.

‘We believe that this will result in the reallocation of road space for shared use for cars, pedestrians, and of course, bikes. This could remove the historic resistance to cycle use, using a road infrastructure biased toward cars.

Dr Julie Hall, consultant at Newcastle City Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘As part of the country’s response to COVID-19, people have been discouraged from using public transport and services have been greatly reduced.

‘This meant that key workers at Newcastle Hospitals were looking for an alternative, safe and easy modes of transport to and from work.

‘EBikes are a very efficient form of transport. They are also clean and sustainable with zero emissions. This is important for Newcastle Hospitals as we have committed to becoming a net-zero carbon organisation and to improving air quality around our sites.’