Borrow a bike in Birmingham as city joins West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme
Three hundred new bikes have appeared on streets across Birmingham today as the city joins the West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme.
It's hoped to follow the success of London's 'Boris Bikes' in getting cars off the roads.
The scheme has already been running in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coventry, Solihull and parts of Sandwell but the Birmingham zone, which stretches from Aston to Selly Oak, will now be the largest in the region.
Currently, there are 43 docking stations across Birmingham but that's set to double later in the year.
The scheme is also a success story for regional manufacturing, with almost all parts being made here in the West Midlands.
The bikes are manufactured in Stratford-upon-Avon by Pashley Cycles who also work with Serco to provide the bikes for London and Edinburgh.
In addition to this, the on-street docks are being made by Universal Fabrications in Nuneaton, while the locking system is produced by Coventry based RDM Group and PHA Europe in West Bromwich.
And finally, the plastic mouldings for the bikes and docks are made in Telford by LVS.
How much will it cost to hire one of these bikes?
It'll cost around £4 for an hour's worth of cycling.
The introduction of the scheme comes just days before some motorists are hit by Birmingham's controversial Clean Air Zone charges.
The Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Birmingham is being introduced to try to crack down on air pollution.
Certain highly polluting vehicles will have to pay a fee each time they drive-in.
Under the proposals, if you do have to pay, cars, taxis - including Hackney Carriages and Private Hire cars - and LGVs will pay £8 a day.
HGVs, coaches and buses will pay £50 a day.
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