A fleet of 500 shared e-bikes and e-scooters have been rolled out across Bath by TIER, who have taken over the contract from Voi to provide their services across the West of England.
One of the new TIER WESTlink e-bikes available in Bath | Photo © TIER
TIER won the competitive tender to operate the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s shared micro-mobility service earlier this year.
The service, which is being rolled out fully in coming months, will comprise shared e-scooters, e-bikes and cargo bikes across Bath and Bristol.
Long-term rental e-scooters will be available later in the autumn, with members of the public invited to register their interest on the TIER website.
The new service comprises TIER’s ‘E-bike 3’ and latest ‘TIER 6’ iteration of its shared e-scooter.
The e-bikes and e-scooters feature a portrait phone holder with integrated wireless charging, GPS tracking, orange highlighted touchpoints and an integrated cable lock.
Users can rent both e-bikes and e-scooters through the TIER app available on iOS and Android, and first-time riders will benefit from one free unlock and 15 minutes of free riding time.
Normal Pay-as-you-Go pricing will be 99p to unlock the bike and then 16p per minute.
TIER is also launching a range of passes including a £4 daily Commute Pass offering 30 minutes riding time, as well as a range of daily and monthly passes.
To start their ride, users must either scan a QR code on the vehicle or pick the e-scooter or e-bike they want to unlock in the TIER app. Once it is unlocked, users must remove the cable lock from the rear wheel and secure it along the top of the rear mudguard.
To end their ride, users must locate a parking bay, the locations of which can be found on the map in the TIER app.
Once stopped they must deploy the kickstand, insert the cable lock through the rear wheel and end their ride in the TIER app.
Jessica Hall, Head of Public Policy UK, commented: “Today marks the first time people in the West of England will be able to try out TIER’s new shared e-bikes and e-scooters in their city.
“E-bikes are great for longer journeys and all of our bikes feature a front basket, which is convenient when you are carrying a heavy bag.
“We look forward to seeing the bikes carrying users uphill without breaking a sweat and making journeys around the cities quicker and easier.
“This is just the start of our service in the West of England, with the service launching in Bristol next month and cargo bikes being added to the service later this year.”
Councillor Sarah Warren, Bath & North East Somerset Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Sustainable Travel, said: “The introduction of e-bikes and soon to be e-cargo bikes to the e-scooter system will be popular for a wider range of people, and for longer distances.
“There will be a short period of adjustment between the two schemes, and we ask users and prospective users to be patient as TIER works to make sure this operation is safe, convenient and considered for all road users.
“We are also setting up a new mailbox where people can send us any suggested improvements regarding the service, such as amendments to parking areas or new parking areas, expansion areas for the service etc.
“The new mailbox for comments and suggestions will be [email protected]”
