Beryl Bikes
We have partnered with Beryl Bikes to deliver public e-bike hire schemes in:
Falmouth and Penryn
Newquay
Penzance
Truro
The scheme allows people to hire bikes from any bay in a town zone and return it to any bay within the same zone. The scheme provides a practical, active, low carbon way of getting around for everyday and leisure trips.
The easiest way to book an e-bike is to download the app on the Beryl website and get riding.
Department for Transport Beryl e-scooter trial key points
Introduction
The e-scooter trial is part of the Department for Transport’s national e-scooter trial testing e-scooter hire models.
The trial allows for the e-scooters available for hire only. The trial does not make the use of personal e-scooters legal on the public highway.
The trial in Cornwall will run alongside the existing Beryl e-bike hire scheme operated in:
Penzance
Truro
Falmouth
Penryn and
Newquay
The aim of the scheme is to provide low carbon transport options for short journeys in the towns in which the scheme operates. Whilst complementing the existing Beryl e-bike hire scheme.
Operations
The e-scooter trial will utilise the same bays as the e-bikes currently run from. Bay capacity will be monitored to understand if there is a need for increasing bay size or the number of bays.
Approximately 50 e-scooters will be provided in each of Penzance, Falmouth/Penryn and Newquay with 25 located in Truro.
Beryl maintains the e-scooter scheme in its entirety.
Local contractors will manage and maintain the e-scooters and e-bikes, bringing direct economic benefits to Cornwall.
Funding
The e-scooters, and operation of the trial are provided by the scheme operators (SMIDSY Ltd, under the Beryl brand). The only cost to Cornwall Council is staff time and costs associated with making of experimental traffic orders.
Riding the e-scooters
Riders must be 18 years old or over and are required to have a driving licence (provisional or full). E-scooters in the UK are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles and as such a driving licence is required to use them. Paper licences are not accepted by SMIDSY Ltd, the operators of Beryl.
Before riding, users will be required to sign up for the scheme with their physical driving licence and through facial recognition on the Beryl app.
Upon signing up, there is a 2 minute guide to riding the scooters, including how to and where to ride.
The rental e-scooters will be legally allowed to use the same spaces and routes as cycles. E-scooters should not be ridden on pedestrian pavements.
The maximum speed of the e-scooters during the trial is 12.5mph. DfT may review this and increase to 15.5mph in the future.
SMIDSY Ltd and Cornwall Council has agreed ‘Go Slow Zones’ in each town where maximum speeds are 7.5mph. These zones are aligned with pedestrianised areas in each town.
There are also ‘No Go Zones’ which are primarily skate parks.
Users must not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs, carry passengers or wear headphones or ear pods whilst riding.
Pricing
The e-scooters cost 22p per minute to use with a £1 unlocking fee. This unlocking fee is not charged if users buy minute bundles in advance.
The same fees apply to parking outside of bays or service areas, that apply to the e-bike hire scheme.