Decision due on scaled-back bike-share scheme

A council is to decide whether to renew its contract with a bike hire company which was being scaled back after proving to be less popular than expected.

Worcester's bike hire scheme, run by Beryl, has attracted half the number of rides and brought in only 60% of the income predicted since the scheme launched in 2024.

David Sutton, deputy director for policy and strategy, said Beryl has had operational difficulties related to losing its depot in Birmingham, but work it was doing now was "on the up".

The city council and Beryl would promote the scheme over the summer, then meet at the end of the summer to decide whether the contract, which expires in November 2027, would be renewed, Sutton said.

The scheme launched in June 2024 with 52 Beryl cycle bays positioned around the city.

Last month the firm said it planned to remove all but the most productive 26 bays and suggested reducing the number of e-bikes from 175 to 125, and removing pedal bikes from the scheme completely.

Sutton updated a meeting of the council's place and economic development committee last week about the work it had been doing.

"I'm pleased to say work we're doing and Beryl are doing is now on the up," he said.

"I think there's about 75 bikes active in the city at the moment and we're moving up towards that total of 100 that will be kept active."

But councillor Elena Round said she felt people had been let down by Beryl Bikes in terms of what had been promised and what had been delivered.

"A lot of residents are feeling disappointed that when they do rent a bike, it's not roadworthy," she said.

"Are Beryl going to come to us and give residents something back for putting up with Beryl and their shocking service?"

"I recognise what you've said about some disappointing performance, and Beryl recognise it themselves," Sutton said.

"I think the rollout was successful and the scheme worked really well to start with, but the combination of the usage being much lower than they thought it would be, [and] the length of rides being shorter, has meant servicing that wider footprint was really challenging.

"Also operating out of a depot in Birmingham which they then lost due to another contract just made it almost unsustainable at that point."

Sutton said Beryl has now had a "reset", and he now feels more positive about the future of the scheme.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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