Leicester City Council in the UK and Leicester-based sustainable travel specialist, Go Travel Solutions have submitted a bid for a major programme to develop Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) hubs. They successfully progressed through the Expression of Interest stage and a full application has now been submitted to apply for a share of the US$778,500 funding that the 1837 Department for Transport has made available for cities, rural areas and tourism hotspots in England, outside of London, to develop shared EAPC hubs.
The bid has been developed by Leicester City Council and is based on support provided by members of Smartgo Leicester, the business network co-ordinated by Go Travel Solutions. It includes the support of major employers within the city, the University of Leicester, Leicester College, Highcross Leicester and major transport provider, East Midlands Trains. If the bid is successful, it would see EAPC hubs set up at these locations.
Employees from Leicester College, the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council would be able to pick up and use electric cycles to get around, while visitors to the city could pick up a bike from the train station or Highcross.
The shared EAPC programme is managed by Carplus, an organisation that supports sustainable travel. Carplus will be allocating the funding on behalf of the Department for Transport. The idea is to accelerate uptake of EAPCs through a grant scheme that will support the development of shared EAPC hubs.
Leicester has already completed a lot of work to make getting around the city easier by joining up pedestrian networks and cycle ways as part of its Connecting Leicester programme.
Andrew Smith, director of planning, transportation and economic development at Leicester City Council, said: “If we are successful with the bid, Leicester will be able to demonstrate how electric bikes could be used to help business travel, travel to work and travel from the rail station. Electric bikes represent another option for sustainable transport to help people get around the city, and it’s an option this bid could help us to explore more thoroughly.”
Robin Pointon, managing director of Go Travel Solutions added: “The benefits of electrically assisted pedal cycles are manifold but the purchase price has traditionally proven to be a real barrier to growth. A successful bid for the shared EAPC programme will help Leicester to speed up the adoption of electric bikes as a viable and effective mode of sustainable travel.”
The bid has been developed by Leicester City Council and is based on support provided by members of Smartgo Leicester, the business network co-ordinated by Go Travel Solutions. It includes the support of major employers within the city, the University of Leicester, Leicester College, Highcross Leicester and major transport provider, East Midlands Trains. If the bid is successful, it would see EAPC hubs set up at these locations.
Employees from Leicester College, the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council would be able to pick up and use electric cycles to get around, while visitors to the city could pick up a bike from the train station or Highcross.
The shared EAPC programme is managed by Carplus, an organisation that supports sustainable travel. Carplus will be allocating the funding on behalf of the Department for Transport. The idea is to accelerate uptake of EAPCs through a grant scheme that will support the development of shared EAPC hubs.
Leicester has already completed a lot of work to make getting around the city easier by joining up pedestrian networks and cycle ways as part of its Connecting Leicester programme.
Andrew Smith, director of planning, transportation and economic development at Leicester City Council, said: “If we are successful with the bid, Leicester will be able to demonstrate how electric bikes could be used to help business travel, travel to work and travel from the rail station. Electric bikes represent another option for sustainable transport to help people get around the city, and it’s an option this bid could help us to explore more thoroughly.”
Robin Pointon, managing director of Go Travel Solutions added: “The benefits of electrically assisted pedal cycles are manifold but the purchase price has traditionally proven to be a real barrier to growth. A successful bid for the shared EAPC programme will help Leicester to speed up the adoption of electric bikes as a viable and effective mode of sustainable travel.”
