Aberdeen’s ebike hire scheme has been rolled out across the Granite City for more than a fortnight now — but is Aberdeen City Council doing enough to support it?
Big Issue eBikes has worked with the council to bring 200 of the rentable electric bicycles to around 40 parking spots in the city centre and surrounding areas.
Since the initiative officially launched last Wednesday, the red and white bikes have been used by riders on “micro mobility” journeys all throughout Aberdeen.
Sadly, there has also been a significant amount of vandalism to the vehicles as well, prompting concerns about the future of the project and anger online.
Some in the cycling community have raised concerns that Aberdeen City Council is not doing enough to endorse the ebikes — which bear the emblem of the local authority on them — and help them become a long-term, sustainable transport success.
‘We fear that with such an obvious lack of support from Aberdeen City Council, that this is being set up to fail’
The rental scheme is being operated by Big Issue eBikes, which is a partnership between the Big Issue organisation that helps vulnerable and marginalised people, and the Norwegian bike hire company ShareBike.
The project is being run at no cost to the Aberdeen taxpayer, and if it does not turn a profit, the council will not be liable to cover any costs.
Introducing an ebike hire scheme to Aberdeen has been something the local authority has been trying to achieve since at least 2018, when it had a Tory/Labour administration.
And so when it finally launched on November 9, some confusion was expressed by cycling lovers about the lack of fanfare from Aberdeen City Council.
When Aberdeen City Council first announced their plan for city hire bikes it came with this memorable statement.
A week into implementation (4 yrs, 9 mths later) the scheme isn't obviously being given lots of names by the Council …as it hasn't mentioned it. pic.twitter.com/DYjP38hBvM
— Ride the North 🚴🏻♀️🚴🚴♂️🏴 (@ride_the_north) November 15, 2022
The Grampian Cycle Partnership for example, said in a lengthy post on social media: “We fear that with such an obvious lack of support from Aberdeen City Council, that this is being set up to fail… we desperately hope we’re wrong.”
The organisation added: “Ask yourselves this.
“In any other city, this photo call and article would be a clear public message being sent by having council leaders on the bikes, quoted as part of the media launch, and only too happy to speak to any and all media about how this scheme will be part of their grand plans for changing the city’s transport network.
“It would be part of a comprehensive social media and advertising strategy from the local authority to shout about the exciting new arrival.”
But since the launch, there has not been any proactive mention of the Aberdeen ebike hire scheme on the council’s Facebook or Twitter pages, nor on its news page on its website.
Calls for cooperation after vandalism incidents
Due to concerns about a spate of vandalism incidents with the ebikes, calls were made for Aberdeen City Council to support the scheme by working together with other organisations.
Aberdeen Central SNP MSP Kevin Stewart, who has called for an increase in deposit costs for the bikes to combat vandals, said: “Aberdeen needs to do a lot more to support cycling in the city, and new schemes like this have to be made to work, not left to rot.
“So I hope the council and the operator can work together to do just that.”
And Jan Tore Endresen, the CEO of Big Issue eBikes, made a similar plea for cooperation after announcing new, stronger locks would be installed on the bicycles to deter criminals.
Mr Endresen said: “This is a unique opportunity for the council, the police, and the citizens of Aberdeen to show we can have something nice here, it is possible to succeed.”
What do the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council think?
We asked the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council, the SNP’s Alex Nicoll and Lib Dem Ian Yuill, about the council’s support of the ebike hire scheme so far.
In particular, we asked both Mr Nicoll and Mr Yuill about:
- The lack of fanfare for the scheme from the council since it launched
- If the council will work together with Big Issue eBikes and the police to support the project, and what that support would involve
- If they support the scheme personally
- If they are concerned about backing a project which was brought forward by a previous administration
- And if they have had a shot of riding one of the ebikes themselves
Instead of a response from the co-leaders, the P&J was provided with a response from a spokesman for Aberdeen City Council.
Council spokesman says it is ‘pleasing’ to see people using Aberdeen ebike hire scheme
He said: “It was agreed at committee to put tender for an ebike rental scheme at no cost to the council.
“As a result, Big Issue eBikes have now commenced operating in the city and, as the provider, makes the operational and commercial decisions which include the phasing of the roll-out, frequency of parking locations and pricing.”
The spokesman said council officers have been “working closely with big Issue eBikes since the award of the contract” to bring the ebike scheme to “both residents and visitors to the city”.
He added: “This forward-thinking project allows people to take advantage of the known benefits, both individual and collective, of active and sustainable travel.
“The first week of operation has seen a low level of vandalism — widely reported on social media — and Big Issue eBikes, council officers and Police Scotland are working together to quickly resolve the problem a small minority of people are creating.
“It is however pleasing to see the level of interest in the scheme with so many people supporting it who are equally disappointed at the damage to these bikes.”
Conversation