Reading Conservatives have welcomed news that the new “Readybike” Cycle Hire scheme has been given the go ahead.
Conservatives first proposed a cycle hire scheme for the Greater Reading area in 2008 in their Cycling Strategy which was published before the 2008 local elections. The Conservative scheme envisaged around 1,000 bikes and a scheme to be known as “Readibike”. During the period of the Conservative-led coalition the scheme was taken forward with a successful initial small bid to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). When Labour resumed control in 2011 they took the draft large bid forward but with a reduced cycle hire scheme. With the award of £25m LSTF funding the scheme has now reached fruition.
Conservative Transport Spokesman Cllr Richard Willis, who first proposed the “Readibike” scheme said, “This is great news to see that the cycle hire scheme is now about to about to become a reality on the streets of Reading. Whilst the initial phase is much smaller than I envisaged, I am delighted that the first steps are being taken, and I will be urging the Council to ensure that phase 2 is implemented. Only when the scheme is at a scale which makes cycling convenient and the bikes are supported by improved infrastructure, will the intended modal shift take place.”
The cycle hire scheme is linked to the new pedestrian / cycle bridge over the Thames, which is also funded from the Government’s LSTF.
Our 2008 Cycling Strategy document can be read by clicking on the link below