Friday August 22nd 2025
Voi Bikes in action at the Meadows
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Bikes on Edinburgh’s new cycle hire scheme will be available to rent from Wednesday, September 3, it has been announced.
The bikes, from cycle hire firm Voi, will be available to rent through their app, with 50 set to be on city streets on launch day.
Exact pricing is not yet available, but the firm says an average 20 minute ride will cost £2.20 – in line with a local fare on Lothian Buses.
The city’s transport boss, Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said the scheme would meet a strong demand for cycling in the Capital, and that it would allow people to move around in a “healthier and more sustainable way”.
Edinburgh’s last cycle hire scheme, under the Just Eat brand, collapsed four years ago under the cost of repairing and maintaining the bike fleet, which was targeted by vandals.
In September 2020, a quarter of the bike fleet needed repairs every week, with a large number being thrown into the Water of Leith and other bodies of water.
But Voi’s UK general manager James Bolton said the firm was prepared for vandalism, having tackled it in other cities it operates in.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Compared to the last scheme, technology has come a long, long way. We know where [the bikes] are every second of the day.
“You can see just by looking at the durability of the hardware. We’ve had these bikes in the UK for the past couple of years and haven’t had any substantial problems.
“If we do find ourselves in a situation where one has been thrown into the river, if it is safe we will retrieve it ourselves.
“However, if it’s something where we need to partner with a third party diving firm to do that, that’s something we’ve done over the years as well.”
He also said Edinburgh was not unique in having vandals target hire bikes, and that every city “thinks their own behaviour is worse than others”.
The council had hoped to launch the cycle hire scheme in time for the festival, but delays – including a two week extension to the tender process at the request of one company – pushed it back.
Voi’s cycle hire service is set to be delivered at no cost to the council, with all the upkeep costs met by fares from those hiring the bikes.
The Just Eat scheme was originally set to run at no cost to the council, but ended up costing the city £1.8 million.
But Cllr Jenkinson appeared confident that the scheme would avoid that fate, saying: “The operating models of the companies that are working within the market are all at zero cost.
“I think to get the buy-in from citizens of Edinburgh, I think it’s important to look at delivering services differently, and being able to deliver a service which is zero cost is quite a refreshing, new way of thinking.
“I’m really pleased that we found the service provider who is going to tick our boxes, and make sure this is as successful as it can be.”
The bikes will be geofenced to the city centre council ward to start with, meaning the bikes will not be able to leave that area.
And the firm will be able to set up areas where bikes cannot enter, or will have their speed restricted, based on the needs of the council.
Green councillor Chas Booth, who sits on the city’s Transport and Environment committee, said: “The launch of this scheme is good news for the city, and I look forward to trying out these bikes when they go public next month.
“There’s no doubt that an effective cycle hire scheme is an essential part of enabling residents and citizens to travel more sustainably and cut climate emissions and air pollution from transport.”
“Green councillors will continue to push for a scheme that serves people across the city, including those on low incomes. We will also keep a close eye on the rollout to ensure that street clutter, vandalism and theft does not threaten the future of the scheme.”
Riders will have to submit photos of how they park their bikes when they finish every ride, in order to prove that the cycle is not blocking a footway and is appropriately parked.
If the photos do not meet the company’s standards, or if the bike is found to not be parked correctly, Voi will be able to fine the rider.
Edinburgh Council will have the ability to fine the company for any bikes which are left where they should not be.
Coverage is set to be expanded with time, and the number of bikes on city streets will be adjusted according to demand for them.
And discount fares will be available for a range of people, including those on benefits, over 60 and students.
Voi, founded in Sweden in 2018, already operates in a number of UK cities, including Liverpool, Northampton and parts of London.
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