Simply Eat Cycles has underlined its runaway success because the UK’s faster-growing bike rent scheme by increasing from Edinburgh to Musselburgh because it celebrated two years in enterprise.

The town council-owned Transport for Edinburgh (TfE) operation stated it now anticipated to notch up almost 250,000 hires this yr, twice as many because the 124,000 in 2019.

Two new bike docking stations had been opened on the weekend at Brunton Corridor and Harbour Street beside the marina in Musselburgh for as much as 19 pedal finish electrical bikes every.

Alex Macdonald, basic supervisor of the Serco-run scheme, stated the favored cycle hall between Portobello, Joppa and the East Lothian city was an “apparent hole”.

He stated hires in these areas on Edinburgh’s jap edge had been “exceptionally sturdy”, with some 17,000 to this point this yr.

Mr Macdonald stated: “It is a large alternative for the scheme and we hope individuals will use it to experience into the town.”

Nonetheless, he stated the transfer, agreed with East Lothian Council, was not a part of an “expansionist technique”.

Mr Macdonald stated the event got here because the scheme was rising “at fairly unprecedented pace.”

There have been nearly 183,000 hires to this point this yr, greater than double the 87,000 over the identical interval in 2019.

Almost 54,000 individuals have employed bikes this yr, which is growing at 1,000 every week. 2019 noticed 22,000 customers.

Mr Macdonald stated the scheme’s e-bikes, launched in March, had been “completely implausible”.

He stated there have been being ridden as much as a 3rd additional than anticipated, averaging 3 miles.

Mr Macdonald stated bike rent schemes like Simply Eat Cycles had been one of many few components of the economic system to have boomed throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

He stated: “I don’t suppose there’s a scheme within the UK that has grown as quick.

“Lockdown was a extremely necessary time for us in that we stored going when many different issues shut up store.”

Nonetheless, he admitted the operation nonetheless had a serious drawback with vandalism.

Youths had been now concentrating on docking stations as bike safety improved.

Mr Macdonald stated workers had been working a lot nearer with the police, with a brand new app developed so officers may see instantly whether or not a motorcycle had been stolen.

He stated: “There completely is a vandalism drawback in Edinburgh, however the stations are being focused extra as a result of we’re doing a greater job of retaining the bikes safe.

“We’re making so much sooner progress on this.”

Some 120-130 of the scheme’s 550 bikes are having to be repaired each week on account of a mixture of vandalism, put on and tear, and climate, comparable to sturdy winds blowing them over.

TfE chief govt George Lowder stated: “We’ve been buoyed by the quantity of individuals using our bikes this yr.

“We’re extremely happy with the scheme’s sustained development and look ahead to additional success and enlargement the place attainable.

“The introduction of e-bikes earlier within the yr has been instrumental in offering larger entry to sustainable journey to completely different demographics.”