News / Transport
TIER rolling out fleet of e-bikes in Bristol
Bristol’s latest fleet of e-bikes will be finally available to hire across the streets of the city from Thursday.
The 500 electric bikes, known as WESTbikes, are being deployed by micro-mobility provider TIER, the company that took over Voi’s e-scooter contract in October.
The bikes will be available to rent through the TIER app and will cost the same to hire as an e-scooter. They feature user touch points highlighted in orange, an updated electric motor controller and an upgraded battery pack which is interchangeable with TIER e-scooter.
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Joining them “soon” will be e-cargo bikes, called WESTcargos, which riders can hire through a different app called nextbike.
The news comes after months of criticism levelled at the arrival of TIER’s e-scooters, from lack of availability to problems with the kickstand.
A Tier e-scooter getting ready for the new path connecting Baldwin Street and Bristol Bridge – photo: Martin Booth
Jessica Murphy, TIER UK head of public policy, said: “E-bikes are great for longer journeys and great for people who would rather be seated while travelling and with the front basket suit people taking a journey with a bigger bag.
“With the addition of the WESTbike e-bikes we have added another 500 vehicles to the Bristol fleet, improving availability at the same time as bringing a new mode to the city.
“This is the first time e-bikes have been added to the micro-mobility service in Bristol, there will be a period of adjustment as we make changes to ensure we are meeting the needs of users.
“We hope the public enjoys the new vehicles and are inspired to try out some new trips by WESTbike.”
TIER added that the bikes cannot be parked in any existing e-scooter parking bays due to their size and users should check their destination in the app before they set off.
The scheme will be the fourth bike hire scheme to start in Bristol, with Hourbikes, Yo Bikes and Big Issue bikes all previously pulling out of the city.
Main photo: TIER
Read next:
- Tier acknowledges problems with Bristol e-scooter fleet
- Tier is here
- ‘Unprecedented’ vandalism blamed for stop of Big Issue e-bike hire scheme
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