Electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh given the go-ahead
A new electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead.
Councillors unanimously supported the scheme which is set to have hire bikes on city streets by August.
The city's last cycle hire scheme collapsed almost four years ago due to vandalism, with private operator Serco being unwilling to continue running it.
And the new plans will allow the city to hold misplaced hire bikes for 'ransom' until the private operator pays up.
Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, the convener of the city's Transport and Environment Committee, said he would 'not apologise' for putting officers under pressure to set up the scheme quickly.
After an addendum by the Conservative group, the scheme will gain an element where the city can collect misplaced hire bikes, and hold on to them until the private scheme operator pays a fine.
The policy is modelled off one used in the City of London, where misplaced hire bikes are kept by the council for 24 hours and then released to operators after payment of a £235 fine.
The change is aimed at addressing concerns raised by councillors about the risk of misplaced bikes on city pavements causing inconvenience or injury.
Unlike the previous Just Eat bikeshare system, Edinburgh's new scheme will use a 'dockless' model, where bikes are not left at dedicated base stations.
Instead, riders will be instructed to drop them off and return them at various designated places on city pavements.
Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said: 'I'm glad that we had [a hire scheme]. It was just a great pity that those in charge at the time couldn't find a way to keep it going.
'My only concern is that we're now moving to a dockless scheme. I've seen the problems myself, and they're quite widely reported, where geofencing doesn't work and bikes can become obstacles in many places.
'The City of London seems to have been the most proactive in this. They go around and collect misplaced bikes, and they charge the scheme operator to get them back.
'What I'm asking is that officers, if we do go ahead with a scheme that doesn't have docks, we make sure we are ready to do that if we find they're not parked in the right places and end up blocking pavements.'
In another departure from the Just Eat bikes, the new scheme will not be funded by the council, with services instead being supported through the fees riders pay to use the bikes.
The next step for the scheme is the selection of an operator, which will be carried out by council officers.
Two firms, Lime and Dott, are in the running. Both operate cycle hire schemes both in the UK and in the rest of Europe.
The scheme will initially run as a two year trial, but councillors hope it will become permanent by the trial's end.
Cllr Jenkinson said: 'I'm not going to apologise for putting officers under a bit of pressure with regards to this scheme, and the timeframes attached to it.
'We have moved at a significant pace throughout the development of this project. It's pleasing to get to this stage armed with information about what the future of this scheme looks like.
'Like others on the committee, I want to ensure that the trial moves into something that is accepted as something that is a normal mode of transport for people to choose to move about the city.
'I understand the concerns about the scheme being focused on the city centre.
'It needs to be delivered within the timeframe that we've previously discussed. But I do think the points brought forward in the Conservative addendum are particularly helpful.
Efforts to reintroduce a cycle hire scheme have been underway since the previous scheme failed, but for several years there were concerns that it would not be feasible to reintroduce one in the city.
Among the concerns was the cost that running a scheme could have involved, with the Just Eat bikes scheme costing the city £1.8 million.
Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Firstly, I think it's great the work that officers have done with this, I'm really pleased on how this has moved on.
'I remember the debates about if this was feasible, if this was going to require a significant injection of council money on an ongoing basis.
'I think officers are to be commended for the work that has been done.'
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
Like this:
Like
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Probe into murder of 'Good Samaritan' dad could expose 'systemic failings'
"Good Samaritan" Alan Geddes was killed by Stuart Quinn after he let Quinn stay at his home a day after he was released from prison. Scottish Government ministers have been urged to widen scrutiny laws so incidents like the horrific murder of a Scots dad "will never be repeated". Alan Geddes, 56, was stabbed 40 times by Stuart Quinn in December 2019 after he had offered him a room for the night at his home in Aberdeen. The "Good Samaritan" had met Quinn, who was homeless, during an evening out. Quinn had only just been released from prison a day earlier and went to a homeless unit, only to find it closed. He was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years behind bars for murdering Alan Geddes. The Geddes family called for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into his death, but their requests were denied despite "obvious failures" leading to Quinn's release without being given any support in the community, reports Aberdeen Live. However, North East MSP Douglas Lumsden has since called on justice secretary Angela Constance to increase the remit for statutory inquiries. Ms Constance said a review of the fatal accident system "as it relates to death in custody" commenced in January this year. During justice questions at Holyrood, Conservative MSP Mr Lumsden said: "The question was concerning deaths outside of custody settings. "In 2019 Aberdeen father and good Samaritan Alan Geddes was murdered by a man released from prison just hours earlier. "In 2023, the Mental Welfare Commission released its damning report, highlighting a list of failures in the runup to the release of Stuart Quinn and if government agencies had acted differently, the outcome could have been different. "Alan's sister Sandra continues the fight for answers and this case is crying out for a Fatal Accident Enquiry. "Would the cabinet secretary agree with me that when someone commits murder just hours after release from prison there has obviously been failures and the criteria for a statutory FAI must be widened to cover these situations?" He has previously tried to seek amendment to the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023, which would have meant offenders released from prison would have access to a post-custody outreach service. However, this was voted down. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Ms Constance responded: "I know that Mr Lumsden has been a keen advocate on behalf of his constituent, Sandra Geddes, who I had the pleasure of meeting as a result of an intervention from Mr Lumsden when the bail and release bill was going through parliament, and there was a number of changes at that time in and around through-care standards in legislation and of course, the imperative nature of good release planning. "Whilst the current review that I have commissioned is focused on deaths in custody, I should say to Mr Lumsden any wider learning points from the review will be given due consideration, in a broader context." Mr Lumsden later added: "There's clearly been systemic failings around the release of a man who went on to commit this horrific crime. "That's why I'm calling for a fatal accident inquiry so that we can learn why it all went so badly wrong, so it will never be repeated. "And so no other family have to go through what the Geddes family have had to go through."
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scottish Labour takes out top spot in Hamilton by-election and snatches crucial seat
Labour has pulled off a shock win in the Hamilton by-election, humiliating First Minister John Swinney. The SNP leader had claimed Labour was 'out of it' just hours before the polls opened. But Anas Sarwar's party won by persuading voters to set aside their anger over UK Government cuts and back a 'new direction' after 18 years of SNP government. It was the second electoral reversal for Mr Swinney since he became First Minister just over a year ago - his party lost 39 of its 48 MPs at last year's general election. Labour's Davy Russell became the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse shortly after 1.30am ,erasing an SNP majority of 4,582 to win by 602 votes. Despite hype about overtaking Labour or even winning the seat, Reform UK came third. In his victory speech, Mr Russell said: 'Right across Scotland, we all feel we've been let down by the SNP. They've broken their NHS, wasted their money, and after nearly two decades, they don't deserve another chance. 'This community has also sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight. The poison of Reform isn't us, isn't Scotland, and we don't want your division here.' Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it was 'game on' for the Holyrood election next year. He said voters had made it clear they wanted the UK Government to change some its policies, wanted rid of the SNP and had rejected the politics of Reform. 'The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have laid the first stone in that path way to a Scottish Labour government.' It was a back-to-back defeat for SNP candidate Katy Loudon, who also lost the Westminster byelection in Ruthgerlen & Hamilton West in 2023. SNP cabinet secretary Mairi McAllan said: 'Obviously it's disappointing not to have won, but what I do have is a party that is exceptionally energized, very united and our campaign to win this seat next year starts now.' The Scottish Conservatives came fourth but narrowly held on to their deposit, falling from 17.5 per cent of the vote to six. Labour's share of the vote was 31.5 per cent, down from the 33.6 per cent the party managed at the 2021 Holyrood election. The SNP's vote share slumped by more than a third from 46.2 per cent to 29.3 per cent. Reform, who didn't stand in the constituency in 2021, took 26.1 per cent of the vote. Turnout was 44.2 per cent, well down on the 60.7 per cent of the 2021 election. The contest was triggered by the death of SNP minister Christina McKelvie. The campaign was one of the ugliest in modern Scottish politics, with accusations of racism levelled against Reform after it attacked Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.= A Reform campaign advert claimed Mr Sarwar had said he wanted to 'priortise the Pakistani community' based on a 2022 speech in which he said no such thing. On Monday, Mr Farage also said he wanted to review the Barnett formula which determines Holyrood's budget, jeopardising the £1,500 per person 'Union dividend' enjoyed by Scots.= Despite coming third, the result in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse suggests Reform could still achieve a breakthrough at next year's Holyrood election. A recent poll suggested the party could leapfrog Labour and the Scottish Conservatives to become the main opposition with 21 seats to the SNP's 58.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Kemi's human rights exodus: Badenoch to says she's ready to quit the ECHR in order to take back control of Britain's borders
Kemi Badenoch will today declare she is ready to quit the European Convention on Human Rights to take back control of Britain's borders. The Tory leader, who has resisted the move in the past, will say that she is 'increasingly of the view that we need to leave' the Strasbourg Court to prevent activist judges frustrating attempts to deal with the Channel migrant crisis. In a major speech today, she will announce a new commission to examine the paralysing effect of well-meaning international treaties on Britain's ability to deal with issues ranging from immigration and crime to housing and the environment. Tory sources said the remit of the commission, led by barrister Lord Wolfson, will include drawing up a detailed plan to quit the ECHR. It will also examine the case for leaving the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and rewriting the Equality Act and Climate Change Act. The new stance puts the Conservatives on course to include a pledge to quit the ECHR in their next manifesto, creating clear blue water with Labour. Keir Starmer's controversial attorney general Lord Hermer has said Labour will 'never' quit the ECHR – and was forced to apologise last week for likening those in favour of the move to Nazis. Mrs Badenoch will today say the Strasbourg Court is unreformable and accuse it of showing 'ever greater willingness to invent new rights and directly overrule popular mandates'. She will insist that she has never had 'any particular obsession with international law or with our treaty arrangements', but that work on a radical new Tory policy platform has convinced her that it will be impossible to deliver while in the straitjacket of the ECHR. 'The more we build our policy programme, the clearer it seems that to achieve our objectives we will need to leave the ECHR in its current form,' she will say. 'I have thought long and hard about this, and I am increasingly of the view that we will need to leave, because I am yet to see a clear and coherent route to change within our current legal structures. 'Some say reform is the answer, but I say we have tried that before (and) the Strasbourg Court has shown no interest in fundamental change. 'It has rebuffed those European states calling for a new approach and, in its recent decisions – above all on climate change – it has shown ever greater willingness to invent new rights and directly overrule popular mandates.' Mrs Badenoch will set the commission five 'common sense' tests for assessing whether human rights laws are getting in the way of vital reforms. The deportation test will assess whether Parliament, rather than the international courts, is able to determine who comes to the UK and is allowed to stay here. Mrs Badenoch will say Britain should have the ability to remove foreign criminals and illegal migrants 'even if they have family here or claim they would be at risk if sent home'. A second 'veterans test' would examine whether the current legal framework allows ministers to 'stop our veterans being endlessly pursued by vexatious legal attacks' using human rights laws. A 'fairness test' will look at whether the authorities can 'put British citizens first in social housing and in receiving scarce public services'. A 'justice test' will look at the impact of human rights laws on the ability of the police to deal with issues like the disruptive protests staged by eco-activists. And a 'prosperity test' will examine whether treaties would prevent the Government from ditching costly climate change measures and cutting red tape holding back economic development. She will argue that the tests are 'not extreme demands', adding: 'They are basic tests of whether we are still a sovereign nation able to make our own laws and govern ourselves. 'If the commission makes clear that these tests cannot be passed under the current system then the system must change. 'If international treaties, including the European Convention, block us and there is no realistic prospect of changing them then we leave. No hesitation. No apology.' Although Britain left the EU in 2020 it remains a signatory to the ECHR and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Strasbourg Court. The Convention was incorporated into law in Labour's 1998 Human Rights Act, allowing people to bring cases in the British courts. The commission will look at the issues involved in leaving, such as how to avoid destabilising the Good Friday Agreement, which includes a commitment to the ECHR. The review will report back in the autumn.
