A perennial city centre issue reared its head again this week: Traffic.
‘Two hour long’ jams were seen on Chapel Street for most of last week after roadworks closed the road in one direction in early May. The congestion trapped 40 buses last Thursday (May 8), caused emergency vehicles to ‘get stuck’, and rows between frustrated motorists.
It will be in place for a year, leading to an outcry from residents, businesses, and commuters.
But next week, a small army of traffic-beating secret weapons will be quietly released onto Greater Manchester’s streets.
New-and-improved electric Bee Bikes will be available for hire from Monday (May 19), promising an easier way to get around town.
The electric Bee Network cycles, officially called Starling Bank Bikes, have been available since 2022 and proved popular, according to Iain Baxter, the scheme’s Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) boss.
“The e-bikes are ridden twice as often [as pedal bikes for hire], it’s a little more popular,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on a demonstration ride.
“When people go to a station and there’s a choice of an e-bike or standard bike, they’re choosing the e-bike. Last month, they rode 33pc further in distance on e-bike [compared to a standard bike] in 22pc shorter time.”
This popularity is why TfGM is putting more electric bicycles on the streets, going from 20pc of the total bikes available for hire currently to 50pc by the end of next year, when the roll-out of 300 electric cycles is expected to conclude.
The new e-bikes are 20pc lighter and feature key differences to the old models, including changes to locking, unlocking, and how you ride them.
On the LDRS’ trial run, the most surprising difference was the power available.
Old models change gear manually, whereas the new two-wheel steeds are automatic.
In effect, the electric motor kicks in far sooner, so riders accelerate much faster from a standing start.
That electric motor is ‘turned up’ for a ‘better user experience’, Iain added. Compared to the old e-bike, it feels like that motor is turned up to 11, although speed is still limited to 15mph by law.
Other changes surround locking and unlocking. While you still have to do the sometimes-pesky front lock, the back lock has been moved so it secures automatically.
That means users need to press ‘end ride’ on the app, rather than just locking up and the software understanding the journey’s finished.
Unlocking is still done by scanning your phone on the bike, but the reader has moved from the top of the handlebars to inside the frame.
The new e-bikes cost the same to hire, and Dame Sarah Story, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, believes they’re a ‘welcome sight’ to the Bee Network.
She said: “The arrival of the 300 new e-bikes is a welcome sight in Manchester. I was fortunate to get to see the new design of these bikes prior to them being added to the on-street fleet and it is good to see the upgrades in the flesh.
“Not only are the bikes lighter but they have other features that make them easier to ride, such as the automatic gearing and rear wheel locking system. The bigger front basket is also very useful and they will be a popular addition to the scheme.”
Bee Bikes are available in parts of Manchester, Salford, and Trafford. Learn how to hire one here.
