freebike selected for Square Mile e-bike share services

freebike, a British dockless e-bike sharing firm, has been selected by the City of London Corporation to operate its services within the Square Mile.

The Corporation also announced a bike share partnership with Beryl Bikes earlier today, with the two schemes a result of the new Transport Strategy announced at last week’s Walking and Cycling Conference.

freebike’s bike share solution aims to provide a reliable service without discarded bikes littering pavements. The scheme operates with designated parking areas and a high service level which locates and removes irresponsibly parked bikes. The bikes are fitted with sophisticed GPS and multiple sensors which can send out regular alerts regarding location, movement, skidding or falling over.

The e-bikes can be unlocked within seconds via the freebike app or by swiping a contactless card, and can be paused for less than 1p per minute if the user is in a meeting. freebike’s electric motor doubles up as an advanced locking system, allowing for smart, ultra-fast rental, enforceable geofencing and protection against theft and vandalism.

Katherine Butler, co-Founder of freebike, said: “We’re delighted to launch our first public freebike fleet in the UK and proud to be selected by the City of London Corporation to operate electric bike sharing in the City following a highly competitive bid.

“The electric freebike brings radical innovation in technology and approach and offers the public a fun, green, fast and healthy transport option around the City. We are passionate about getting more people cycling and out of their cars – electric bikes are a joy to ride.”

freebikes will arrive in the City of London from the 12th June and can be rented as both a pedal-powered or e-bike with no unlock fee. In order to encourage cycling, pedal mode can be used for free for the first 10 minutes, with a mart pause mode allowing the user to temporarily park the bike before recommencing their journey.

Alastair Moss, Planning and Transportation Committee Chair at the City of London Corporation, added: “We are looking forward to working with freebike and Beryl, who impressed us with their innovative solution to issues facing London, such as overcrowded and cluttered pavements.

“This trial follows the launch of the City Corporation’s first Transport Strategy, in which we have placed a renewed focus on prioritising the needs of cyclists and improving the quality, convenience and accessibility of cycle hire facilities for City visitors, workers and residents to enjoy.”

freebike will donate 2p for every mile ridden to the Lord Mayor’s appeal and will offer discounts to residents of the City of London.

Bike share schemes seem to be a hot trend in the capital right now, with ride-hailing giant Uber announcing the pilot launch of its e-bike sharing service, JUMP, in the capital starting last week.