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The Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport has called for Transport for West Midlands (TFWM) to extend the Beryl Bikes Cycle Hire Scheme to Bromsgrove, Redditch and Kidderminster as part of his commitment to improving active travel opportunities in the County.
Councillor Mike Rouse said: “Redditch is a non-constituent member of the Combined Authority, and would benefit greatly from the scheme especially as we are looking to build a new train station there. Kidderminster and Bromsgrove stations would benefit too. It would be a win for us all.”
The call comes as Worcestershire County Council prepares to publish plans for a new Redditch Train Station ahead of a Cabinet Meeting on 27th October, following on from the project being declared a ‘game changer’ in March 2021. It is envisaged that the Redditch Railway Quarter redevelopment will form a new gateway to the town for visitors, residents and for those wishing to access Birmingham. Plans are expected to include a multi-modal interchange approach.
Councillor Rouse added: “Worcester is developing its own cycle hire scheme as part of the Towns Fund, but if we can get Beryl Bikes into the north of the county we could look to expand them to the south later on if they go down well.”
Councillor Mike Rouse has been engaging with TFWM and the office of Andy Street, the West Midlands Mayor, but was disappointed on learning that only the seven full constituent members of the Combined Authority are entitled to join the scheme and has called for change the contract with the suppliers to ensure that it can be rolled out to the wider West Midlands, which includes Worcestershire and Warwickshire to the south of the conurbation.
Mike added: “Worcestershire wants to do more on Active Travel, and the Beryl Bikes cycle hire scheme should be a quick and easy win especially for those towns that are close to Birmingham anyway and have train stations that point north. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate in a very visual way the Greater West Midlands in action.”
Notes to Editors
- For further comment email mike@mikerouse.uk
- There are 1140 Beryl Bikes in the West Midlands existing zones, 150 of which are e-Bikes
- Serco operates West Midlands Cycle Hire on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, with Beryl providing smartphone app technology.
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