E-Bikes

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is seeking to provide residents and visitors with a wider range of sustainable, accessible and affordable travel options, particularly for short-distance journeys. Encouraging a shift away from private car use supports both local and national policy objectives relating to decarbonisation, air quality improvement, and public health outcomes.

Travel behaviour data consistently shows that a significant proportion of car trips are relatively short in length. National evidence indicates that approximately 70% of car journeys are under five miles, and around 25% are less than one mile. Many of these trips have the potential to be undertaken by alternative modes, provided that convenient, reliable and attractive options are available.

In Stoke-on-Trent, factors such as topography, perceived travel time, and accessibility barriers can limit the uptake of traditional cycling. Electrically assisted bicycles (e-bikes) offer a practical solution to these challenges by reducing physical effort, extending feasible travel distances, and making cycling more inclusive for a broader range of users, including those with lower fitness levels or mobility constraints.

The scheme will provide residents and visitors with a convenient, accessible and sustainable alternative to private car use, particularly for short-distance journeys, while supporting the Council's wider transport, environmental and public health objectives.

The key objectives are to:

•Appoint a delivery partner to design, implement and operate an e-bike hire scheme within the city, based on a commercially viable model

•Introduce a fleet of approximately 800-1,000 e-bikes, scaled appropriately to ensure visibility, accessibility and network coverage across key locations within Stoke-on-Trent

•Improve local connectivity by enabling short trips between residential areas, town centres, transport hubs, employment sites and visitor destinations

•Encourage modal shift away from private car use, contributing to reduced congestion, improved air quality and lower carbon emissions

•Increase participation in cycling by overcoming barriers such as topography and fitness levels through the use of electrically assisted bicycles

•Ensure high-quality service delivery, including reliable availability, effective maintenance, and appropriate parking controls (e.g. geo-fencing) to minimise negative impacts on the public realm

•Secure robust data sharing arrangements to enable monitoring of usage, performance, and outcomes, supporting ongoing evaluation and future decision-making

•Minimise financial risk to the Council by seeking a commercially sustainable model, with no requirement for ongoing subsidy where possible

•Enable future scalability, allowing the scheme to expand or adapt based on demand, performance and funding opportunities

Lots

This procurement was divided into 1 lots, each awarded separately.