Sheffield is set to catch up with neighbouring UK cities with an e-bike scheme launching next summer.

Lime, Voi and Beryl are among the companies interested in bidding to be Sheffield’s first electronic bike scheme.

Many Sheffield residents remember the failure of the cycle-hire scheme in 2018 by Ofo, where vandalism coincided with the company going under.

Cllr Craig Gamble Pugh said he was confident that electric bikes can handle Sheffield’s hilly topography.

He said: “It’s been nearly eight years. When they were being chucked into the canal and stuff, those schemes were in their infancy. There’s a whole industry sector and body of expertise now.”

A cycling advocacy group, CycleSheffield, has had meetings with Voi, and ran a ride event with Lime last Saturday, testing the bikes on Sheffield’s hills and discussing GPS virtual docking stations along the route.

John Armitage, Chair of CycleSheffield said: “It’s definitely going to happen. It’s just a case of who’s going to be here first.

In an exclusive with Sheffield Wire, Mr Armitage added: “We know also, it’s not just e-bikes. The scheme is going to be with a company that also does scooters, so it will involve e-scooters as well.

CycleSheffield’s goal is to promote and push the council to improve safe cycling and cycling provisions.

Mr Armitage is optimistic that, whichever company wins the contract, it will be a win for cycle safety.

He said: “It’s going to be really important to have more provision, more infrastructure, and these companies are really good at helping advocate for that as well.

“They want safer cycling in the cities they operate in.”

Nat Zimmermann, a member of CycleSheffield, also attended the Lime event.

He said: “A lot of cycling safety comes in strength in numbers. 

If people are used to seeing cyclists everywhere, when they turn left, they’re going to think; ‘Is there a cyclist coming up beside me?’ Whereas if there’s only a few, it’s quite easy to forget.”

Cllr Gamble Pugh, whose ward is East Ecclesfield, said he is excited about giving people another option, especially for Sheffield’s less connected communities.

He said: “The further out you get, the more difficult it is to use those active travel options.

“A lot of people in the city would like to be able to leave the car behind sometimes. So having an e-bike would be a great option, but we need to make sure the scheme caters for the further out communities as well.”

Mr Armitage also believes the scheme could plug a gap in Sheffield’s transport network.

He said: “We have got really bad night buses and the Uber situation since Covid has got really, really bad. 

“So anything else that helps you get home at night is really, really helpful.”

Elsewhere in the UK, e-bikes and scooters have been associated with safety concerns. 

In September, the BBC spoke to a lower limb surgeon at Royal London Hospital, who said e-bike accidents were a “massive burden” on their department.

In January, London Centric spoke to three Londoners who suffered severe leg breaks after falling off Lime bikes.

They reported: “the design, weight and speed of the e-bikes used by Lime can transform what should be relatively minor falls into life-changing injuries”.

But in Sheffield, the outlook among the council remains positive. 

Cllr Gamble Pugh said: “Sheffield has lagged behind. We’re the last of the UK core cities to have a bike hire scheme, so it’s high time we did it.”