Edinburgh to relaunch cycle hire with new e-bike trial

Edinburgh City Council is preparing to introduce a two‑year dockless e‑bike hire trial later this month, even though the operator contract has not yet been awarded. The city remains confident the service will begin in August, aligning with the busy Edinburgh festivals.

The scheme will feature only electric‑assisted bikes, a move considered appropriate given the Scottish capital’s hilly topography. The design is intended to make cycling more accessible to residents and visitors, while also reducing the problem of bikes clustering at the bottom of steep streets.

Unlike the earlier Just Eat Bikes programme, which ended in 2021 after repeated vandalism and losses of around £1.8 million, the new service will operate without docking stations. Users will be able to collect and return e‑bikes at designated points across the city via an app.

The pilot will be entirely funded through user fares, with no direct subsidy from the council. To prevent abandoned bikes from obstructing pavements, the council will retrieve them and recover costs from the operator.

The decision to start during the height of the festival season has drawn concern. The Scotsman commentator Stephen Jardine cautioned that “launching a new service when the city is at its busiest brings risks that might be better managed at another time”.

Implications for cities and operators

For other municipalities and public transport authorities, Edinburgh’s approach illustrates a wider trend towards fare‑funded micromobility schemes that transfer risk to operators and embed penalties for poor compliance.

For providers, the contract offers the chance to establish a presence in Scotland’s capital but also presents challenges in tackling vandalism, ensuring equitable coverage across difficult terrain, and coping with peak tourist demand.

The procurement process closed on 1 August, with the chosen operator expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks. If the e‑bike trial is successful, it could pave the way for a permanent service and re‑establish cycle hire as part of Edinburgh’s transport mix after a four‑year hiatus.

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