New Edinburgh cycle hire scheme Voi launched the City of Edinburgh

The Scotsman

New Edinburgh cycle hire scheme  Voi launched the City of Edinburgh Council's new cycle hire scheme on September 3 2025 with some 50 electric bikes across 40 locations in and around the city centre, four years after its Just Eat Cycles predecessor failed due to thefts and vandalism. The operator is also due to take over the established Glasgow City Council bike hire scheme with at least 1,000 electric bikes by the end of 2025.

Transcript

00:00I'm Alistair Dalton, the Scotsman's Transport Correspondent, at the launch of what will be a revolutionary change to bike hire in Scotland's two biggest cities.

00:10It's the 3rd of September 2025. I'm in Edinburgh on the first day of a new hire scheme run by Voi on behalf of the City Council.

00:20It's the first time for four years that people in Edinburgh will have been able to hire bikes on the street,

00:25after the last scheme collapsed because of repeated vandalism and theft.

00:31The scheme will be different from the previous Just Eat Cycles operation in that it will be an all-electric fleet,

00:38perhaps wise considering Edinburgh's topography.

00:42Initially, there will be 50 bikes across areas of the city centre and around, and the plan is to increase it to 800 cycles.

00:51Then later this year, by December 2025, Voi has also won the new contract to operate the successful Glasgow Cycle Scheme,

01:02which has been operating since 2014 and has some 1,200 bikes.

01:10Voi again will change the scheme to an all-electric operation.

01:14They say they'll have at least 1,000 bikes on the streets and opportunities to grow there too.

01:20The last scheme had its problems. How are you going to ensure that this new version doesn't meet the same fate?

01:28I think it's fair to acknowledge that the previous scheme did fail, but I think it's time to look at this scheme again.

01:38There are huge advantages to the new scheme. I think the technology has significantly improved with regards to the bikes themselves.

01:48They are certainly very robust. They are very difficult to damage, very difficult to steal,

01:57which was a problem that blighted the previous scheme.

02:00I think people's perception of Cycle Hire has moved on significantly in the last four years.

02:07I think the many visitors and residents who have travelled across the UK and Europe will know that these schemes are up and running elsewhere.

02:19I think there is an expectation that we should have them in Edinburgh, so I'm pleased to bring the bikes back.

02:24The old scheme, you physically docked the bike when you finished with it. This time it's dockless.

02:31Couldn't that cause a problem with bikes being left in the wrong places?

02:35Well, the technology enables real control over where and how the bikes are parked,

02:42and we need to ensure that the bikes are appropriately parked.

02:46It is a trial, so these things will be tested going forward.

02:50And we'll be working very closely with Void to ensure that the bikes are appropriately parked.

02:57If they fall over, they're picked up, and to make sure that the streets remain as uncluttered as possible.

03:04I've just taken the smaller of the two bikes, the Explorer Lite 1, for a wee test ride on parts of the Royal Mile and the surrounding streets.

03:14Quite steep with lots of cobbles, it's wet, but this bike coped really well.

03:19I was actually very impressed with the amount of power and acceleration.

03:24They're relatively heavy, not light as they say, and it is a little bit difficult to get it going,

03:30particularly if you're starting off on a big hill, but as soon as you do get moving,

03:37you can really feel the motor kicking in, and it gives you quite a lot of power pushing you up the hill.

03:43I think people will be quite impressed.

03:47I had low expectations because previous cycle hire electric bikes had been, I felt, a little bit underpowered,

03:55but this one certainly is impressive.

04:00People say that electric bikes are the gateway drug into cycling,

04:05and if you haven't tried one before, I would give this one a go, because you might be quite surprised.

04:12Voi have two types of electric bikes available to the Edinburgh Hire scheme.

04:17First of all, the one that we tested, which was the Explorer Lite one,

04:22which is the zippier one with more power, best for going up hills like we did in the Royal Mile.

04:27It's got a slightly smaller basket and a smaller saddle.

04:33However, the Explorer 4 got a more comfy saddle, bigger basket, two gears.

04:39I'm told it's better for longer rides.

04:42It is bigger and it is heavier,

04:44so it's a case of maybe trying out both and seeing which you prefer.

04:48Yes, it is now.

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