Slough's bike hire scheme to close despite green travel grant

A town's bicycle hire scheme is to close after the local council said it could no longer subsidise it.

The Slough Cycle Hire Scheme launched nearly 10 years ago and cyclists could choose a daily pass, monthly membership or a £1 pay-as-you-go option.

Its cancellation comes after Slough Borough Council (SBC) secured £10.4m in government funding for its planned cycle superhighway.

The council said it would look into alternative bike hire schemes.

SBC plans to issue a tender for a new supplier to run a modernised scheme at no cost to the council when the current scheme ends on 1 July, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Users who purchased a subscription that would be valid after the closing date will be refunded on a pro-rata basis. Daily passes will continue to be available until 30 June.

Councillor Mohammed Nazir, lead for transport and the local environment, said: "We remain committed to sustainable travel, and we are currently looking into alternative schemes.

"We are optimistic we can find a new provider who can bring a revitalised scheme to the town and encourage people to get on a bike to make their journeys, rather than always hopping in the car."

In May, the Department for Transport awarded the council a £10.4m grant to promote greener and sustainable transport.

Under the proposal, service roads and paths alongside the A4 in the Berkshire town would be transformed into dedicated cycle routes.

Cycle superhighways were introduced in London in 2010 by Transport for London in a move that saw space on major roads reallocated to provide cycle lanes over several miles of a route.

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