Dockless bike hire scheme to launch in Leeds

Leeds City Council has announced that dockless bike company ofo will launch a fleet of 1,000 bikes in the city centre in May, following a successful launch in Sheffield earlier in the year.

Leeds residents will be able to hire a lightweight, three-speed bike with the click of a button via the ofo smartphone app, ride it anywhere in the city and lock it again for just 50p for a 30 minute journey. In Sheffield alone, over 28,000 trips have been made on ofo bikes since January, with figures showing almost a 20 per cent rise from January to February.

Working closely with Leeds City Council to ensure the scheme provides a valuable and reliable service for the public, the entire bike fleet will be fitted with bright dynamo front lights, solar-powered rear lights and a handy front basket. The bike sharing scheme is the first of its kind in Leeds and will offer greater transport choice.

Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said: “I am delighted that having reached an agreement with ofo, we can now begin to look forward to a public bike sharing scheme starting in Leeds this May. This is exciting news, and will offer both residents and visitors to Leeds the chance to cycle conveniently into and around the city centre for what will be a small fee.”