Latest news with #GregMacvean
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Edinburgh cycle hire: Swedish company Voi chosen to run new e-bike scheme
Swedish company Voi has been chosen to run Edinburgh's new cycle hire scheme, with bikes expected to be available on the streets within the next 10 days. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... People will be able to hire a bike for £2 for 20 minutes - and there will be 50 per cent discounts for those on low incomes, those with disabilities, students, apprentices and over-60s. Edinburgh's previous cycle hire scheme, which was run by Serco and sponsored by Just Eat, came to an end in September 2021 after thefts and vandalism made it unaffordable. The new cycle hire scheme could start within the next 10 days. Picture: Greg Macvean. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The new scheme, using e-bikes only, will be dockless and operate at no cost to the council. Several companies bid for the opportunity to run the cycle hire scheme in Edinburgh, but Voi Technology UK Ltd won the contract, which officially starts on Friday and will run as a trial for two years, with the option to extend for up to a further 18 months at the discretion of the council. The scheme will start with 50 bikes but has the capacity to scale up to 800 bikes by the new year, depending on demand. Voi already operates in 11 countries around the world and several cities in the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The council said it was working with Voi to establish a date when the public would be able to use the scheme as soon as possible, but the priority was to ensure the scheme worked effectively and implement it in a safe and controlled manner. Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said he expected the first bikes to be available for hire within seven to ten days. He said: 'I'm delighted that we've reached this key milestone to deliver a new cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh. Voi brings a wealth of experience in this field, operating across the UK and internationally, and I'm very excited to see how the scheme will progress here in the Capital. We'll be launching the scheme later this week before expanding across the city through the autumn. 'From allowing our residents and visitors a new way to travel around the city, through to cutting congestion, pollution and beyond – the scheme will bring a host of benefits to Edinburgh.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said Voi's UK existing operations included cities of a similar size to Edinburgh and with similarly complex city centres, such as Oxford and Cambridge. And he highlighted the company's ability to offer discounts to various groups. 'It's making sure the scheme is accessible to as many people as possible and market it to the widest range of people.' In addition to the 50 per cent discount for those on low incomes, the disabled, students, apprentices and over-60s, there will be a 20 per cent discount for blue-light workers, care-experienced individuals and veterans. And Cllr Jenkinson said: 'We will also work with the vendor on various other discounts and concessions as the scheme rolls out. We want to encourage as many people to take part in this trial as possible by making it accessible and cost-effective.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said the procurement process for tenders of this kind would normally take around eight months to bring to fruition, but the final decision to have a new cycle hire scheme had been taken just three months before the award of the contract.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Charity rowers arrive under Forth Bridge to complete 900-mile journey around half of Britian
A team of charity rowers raising money for research into Motor Neurone Disease have arrived under the Forth Bridge, completing the first stage of a four-year endurance mission. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Row4MND crew set off from Land's End in Cornwall on July 25 and have rowed about 900 miles, including having to change course 100 miles into the Irish Sea. And they were mistaken for a "migrant dinghy" by independent ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who tweeted a picture of their boat with the comment: "Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW". He later acknowledged his mistake and agreed to make a donation. The Row4MND team complete the first leg of their four year challenge which aims to raise £57m to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. Picture: Greg Macvean. | Greg Macvean Photography Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The crew - Matt Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley - were treated to a hero's welcome by supporters, well-wishers and members of the MND community, as they passed underneath the Forth Bridge, completing the first half of their round-Britain circumnavigation. They plan to row the rest of the way round Britain next year, then from California to Hawaii in 2027 and across the North Atlantic from New York to London in 2028. One of the rowers, Mike Bates, co-founder of Row4MND, said: 'A huge amount of effort and detail goes into planning a challenge like this. The crew of four - made up of Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Yarmouth - rowed around 900 miles in 21 days. Picture: Greg Macvean. | Greg Macvean Photography 'Coastal rowing is very different to ocean rowing, and we've encountered some of the most challenging conditions that any of us have faced – including in the Atlantic and Pacific.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After initially rowing north from Land's End into the Irish Sea, facing strong headwinds along the way, the crew decided to return to the start line and continue their journey East via the English Channel. They also had to shelter from Storm Floris on the Sussex coast. Row4MND is aiming to raise £57 million to have a material impact on the search for a cure to MND. Three charities are involved in the project - the Motor Neurone Disease Association; the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation; and the Leeds Hospitals Charity. Mike Bates added: "We'd like to thank Rupert Lowe MP for inadvertently bringing the eyes of the world onto our crew, which has opened the floodgates in terms of donations. Maybe he can lend a few further words of encouragement for the second leg next year.'
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Scotsman
28-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Not alone in thinking cash is still king
Rosemary Gallagher | Greg Macvean Photography 'Cash is king' is the well-used mantra. Well, at least it used to be. These days, more businesses are refusing it and only accepting card and contactless payments. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... While I'm usually more than happy not to carry coins and notes and tap away when out and about, I got a wake-up call during a trip to London last week. I was hoping to get a dress altered for an awards ceremony, but the tailor I found only took cash. I tried to get a withdrawal from a nearby cashpoint only for my card to be swallowed up! A wave of panic hit as the card was the only payment method I had, and – as per –I had zero cash on me. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Frantically, I called my bank who were, thankfully, very helpful. They instantly cancelled my card and I made arrangements to pick up cash from a local branch to last me for a couple of days until I got home to Scotland. By which time – hopefully – my new card should have arrived. But travelling around London with just cash is far from easy, due to the fact that so many businesses there will only accept card payments – which meant I was left feeling rather hungry on my train journey north from King's Cross. My experience is one of the reasons I see the value in the grassroots Campaign for Cash initiative. It argues that the increasing number of businesses refusing cash payments leaves many of us feeling excluded – especially older people, those with disabilities, and the financially director Martin Quinn told me: 'We formed with the purpose of protecting cash usage, our main aim is to persuade the government to pass a law to mandate cash acceptance in all shops and businesses. 'Millions of people rely on cash and, as we have seen with the recent power outages across Spain and Portugal, when the internet goes down, the only payment method with full resistance is cash. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'From a business perspective, the ever-increasing card charges imposed by [lenders] are eating into the slim profit margins of small shops, taking cash transactions helps to offset this.' It's been a busy old week in the world of financial services, with Westminster keen to clear their desks before summer recess began on Wednesday. On Monday came a policy paper on agricultural property and business property relief reforms covering Inheritance Tax liabilities, and the revival of the Pensions Commission was announced 'to confront the retirement crisis that risks tomorrow's pensioners being poorer than today's' – no mean feat .Looks like there will be plenty to discuss when Parliament resumes, and the build up to the Autumn Budget really begins.
Scotsman
26-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
New Edinburgh cycle hire scheme set for 'soft' launch during Festival
Edinburgh's new cycle hire scheme is set for a "soft" launch during the Festival. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The deadline for bids from operators hoping to run the scheme is next Friday, August 1, the day the Festival begins. But the council says the selection of a contractor for the two-year trial scheme can be completed quickly. And the companies which have so far signalled an interest have all said they can start operating the electric bike hire without delay. The last cycle hire scheme ended in September 2021. Photo by Greg Macvean Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is thought the soft launch, with a limited number of bikes, could take place during the week beginning August 11. Edinburgh's previous cycle hire scheme, which was run by Serco and sponsored by Just Eat, came to an end in September 2021 after thefts and vandalism made it unaffordable. The new scheme will be run by a commercial operator at no cost to the council, using e-bikes only and a dockless system for parking them. It will focus first on the city centre, but with the hope of spreading it across the Capital in due course. The original deadline for bids for the new scheme was July 18, but it was extended to August 1 at the request of one of the potential providers. Bids will then be evaluated the following week and a winner announced, with the potential for the scheme to start the week after. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'Our initial target was to launch the trial cycle hire scheme during the month of August, and I remain confident that we'll deliver this. As ever, we'll work closely with summer festival operators and our other partners to minimise disruption during this busy period. 'However, the tender process is still underway, and a contract has not yet been awarded. We're actively working to finalise arrangements and remain committed to making the scheme operational as soon as possible. 'We're determined that any cycle hire scheme is implemented diligently and in the right way for the specific needs of Edinburgh. I'm confident that once a scheme is operational it will greatly benefit our residents and visitors alike.' Cllr Jenkinson acknowledged the August timescale he set had put council officers under pressure. But he said it would mean there were bikes for hire at the city's busiest time of year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And he added: 'It benefits not only us as a council, but also the provider who is going to deliver the service because they're never going to get a better opportunity of launching a product than in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival.'
Scotsman
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Colour at the end of the tunnel
Community-minded artist Chris Rutterford, who transformed the Colinton Tunnel with collaborative working and a huge, eye-catching mural. Picture: Greg Macvean Tomorrow marks the culmination of over four years' hard work to create something special for Colinton and I'm honoured to be asked to be part of the celebrations. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I'm helping with the official unveiling of the Cuddies Lane Mural, the latest creation of artist Chris Rutterford, which will form part of an art trail between Colinton Village and his Colinton Tunnel mural, the success of which was the inspiration for his new work. According to the Colinton Amenity Association (CAA), the tunnel mural trebled the number of visitors to the area, which significantly benefitted the local economy and the new attraction will hopefully do the same, encouraging people to stay longer and use the local shops and pubs like the Spylaw Inn. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With the mural on the wall of Colinton Village Pharmacy showing the old smiddy, the new work aims to show a snapshot of village life in 1900, with the Colinton Local History Society providing contemporary photographs and local people posed in period costume to bring them to life. The late Councillor Val Walker, the culture and communities convener who was very supportive of the project, is pictured. It took three years to get permission to proceed ─ and in a conservation area like Colinton that's an achievement in itself ─ and a further year to complete, and the next phase is to take visitors through to Spylaw Park and the Colinton Tunnel. Fundraising will continue throughout 2026, and a there is a JustGiving page on the CAA's website. Well done everyone connected with this fantastic project.
