SOUTH YORKSHIRE GEARS UP TO GET MORE PEOPLE MOVING BY E-BIKE

Published 21 August 2026 at 11:00am

Mayor’s new e-bike scheme to create more routes to opportunity across South Yorkshire

People in South Yorkshire will be able to hire e-bikes and take them home as part of a first-of-its-kind scheme being launched by Mayor Oliver Coppard.

Other city-based schemes around the country generally see users booking bikes for short trips and needing to find suitable spots to drop them off.

But the new South Yorkshire scheme will become the most flexible operation in the country ahead of its planned launch next spring.

Part of the South Yorkshire People’s Network, it will make e-bikes cheaper and easier to access, giving people more freedom and choice in how they travel for regular journeys.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The idea at the heart of the South Yorkshire People’s Network is that transport should work for everyone in South Yorkshire, giving us all freedom and choice about how we travel and move.

“That’s why we’ve designed this pioneering new e-bike subscription service; because it’s not enough to simply build bike lanes and cycle networks, we need to give everyone the chance to use them.

“So, from next spring, people across South Yorkshire will be able to hire a new e-bike on a long-term loan, for an affordable monthly price. That’s potentially game changing for anyone who wants to make different travel choices but has been priced out up to now.
“I’m proud to say we’re the first place in the country to develop this type of scheme, but I know we won’t be the last. South Yorkshire is leading the way again, putting the public back in public transport.”     

Backed by initial investment of £1.3m, the first 275 e-bikes are now out to procurement, helping to get the scheme rolling ahead of its planned launch in spring 2027.

The scheme has been shaped by research showing how e-bikes can help people travel further and make everyday journeys easier, and data from the short-term loan schemes operating in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

With transport costs continuing to put pressure on households, the scheme’s flexible, first-of-its-kind tiered pricing model will help make sure cost does not put the brakes on opportunity.

It forms a key part of South Yorkshire’s Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy, supporting plans to make walking, wheeling and cycling more realistic, accessible options for more people.

Further details on pricing, eligibility and how to sign up will be announced ahead of launch.