West Midlands Lime scheme passes one million rides in five months

More than one million journeys have been made on shared Lime e-bikes and e-scooters across the UK’s West Midlands in the five months since the regional scheme launched.

The service began in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull on 1 April before expanding to Sandwell and Wolverhampton in June, creating a shared micromobility network across several of the region’s major urban areas. Lime says 83 percent of users had never previously ridden one of its bikes in another city, suggesting the service is attracting a substantial number of people who are new to shared micromobility.

Early usage data also points to repeat use, with 45 percent of riders taking a second trip within a week of their first journey.

The milestone comes as Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and its partners work towards an ambition for at least half of all trips in the region to be made by walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting by 2030.

Beccy Marston, West Midlands Active Travel Commissioner, said: “Reaching one million rides in just five months proves that when you make active travel convenient and affordable for people it quickly becomes a natural choice, especially for those without access to a private car. It’s inspiring to see so many first-time users and women are riding, making their shorter journeys healthier and more fun.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said the milestone demonstrated “a huge appetite among residents and visitors for cleaner, greener, and more convenient ways to travel”.

“Getting more people to cycle is also helping us cut traffic congestion, clean up our air, and improve people’s health and fitness. And all at zero cost to the taxpayer,” he added.

Photo by Laura Martinez on Unsplash