More than 40,000 journeys were taken on shared bikes in the UK last year, the CoMoUK Annual Bike Share Report has found.
The report, which surveyed more than 4,000 users across the country, said that on average 41,599 journeys are made on shared bikes each day, with 22,789 bikes available across 39 schemes.
Of the 39 hire bike providers, 21 now also offer e-bikes, with 34 per cent of e-bike users claiming their journeys were replacing car or taxi trips of more than five miles each week.
Furthermore, the increased use of shared bikes and e-bikes has reduced the car miles of each user by 3.7 miles per week.
In response to the findings, CoMoUk Chief Executive Richard Dilks said: “The findings of this report have proved that bike share is a catalyst to re-engaging with cycling. Bike share supports health and wellbeing, triggers sustainable travel behaviours, cuts car miles and works alongside bike ownership.
“There are many personal benefits of taking up cycling and it’s encouraging to see e-bikes becoming increasingly popular – with no significant age differences between e-bike riders and the whole group, demonstrating their appeal to all generations.
“Ultimately, if we are to achieve our ambitious net-zero targets, we need to address the issue of private vehicle ownership, which massively contributes to the UK’s emissions. Shared transport such as bike share schemes, along with car clubs, demand responsive transport and e-scooters, alongside public transport, are the key to achieving our goals.”
