Green Shared Travel Hubs

Pay As You Go electric bikes, electric cargo bikes and electric cars are coming to Colchester

By providing convenient, affordable and green transport choices, residents and businesses will be able to:

• save money on fuel and running costs by reducing car use
• lower personal carbon footprints
• become more active and healthy
• improve the air we breathe

Our vision for delivering a sustainable transport system

We want to give people easy, convenient and environmentally friendly ways to travel. Having a hub of shared facilities means that there will be something to suit the needs of the majority of people, whether that be an electric cargo bike with seats for children or space to put your weekly shop, an electric bike to get to an appointment or an electric car for those longer journeys.

By providing affordable and realistic alternatives to the car we hope to improve the quality of life for those of us who live, work or visit the city centre. Fewer vehicles on the road will lead to less traffic, congestion, noise, and toxic air pollution.

What is now available?

City Centre electric bike/electric cargo bike hub – Pay As You Go hire  

A range of different electric bikes are available on a pay as you go basis from the Secure Bike park in Portal Precinct off Sir Isaac’s Walk in the City Centre. The bikes are suitable for carrying children, shopping, or heavy/bulky goods. The hub includes an electric bike, an electric longtail cargo bike (with extra carrying capacity at the back) and two electric two wheeled cargo bikes with carrying capacity at the front including seats and safety harnesses for children. 

The bikes are  bookable via the internet and charged by the hour. Minimum hire is £3 for 2 hours, daily hire is £10. To find out more visit cyclecolchester.co.uk

Colchester eCargo Bike Library short term loan scheme for businesses

If you are a business interested in borrowing an eCargo bike to see how it works to meet your business needs or could use an eCargo bike delivery service to transport goods, equipment or deliveries to customers, the Council offers a free short term loan scheme. Find out more about Colchester eCargo Bike Library.

Electric Car Club-Pay-As-You-Go Car Hire in Colchester & Across the UK

Enterprise Car Club is the official car club provider in Colchester offering pay as you go driving, and has launched Colchester’s first all electric car club vehicle located in Priory Street car park in the City centre. A second car will follow in the coming months in another City Centre location. This is the beginning of a growing network of car club cars across Colchester that will be rolled out over the next few years.

Benefits include

• 24/7 access
• Bookings from 30 minutes upwards via web, app and telephone
• Access to 1,500+ Enterprise pay as you go cars across the UK
• First year membership for just £10 plus £10 free driving credit
• £1 first year membership if you belong to another car club
• Corporate accounts with free memberships

Find out more about Enterprise and the car club offers.

If you want to sign up right away, find out more about the service in Colchester.

What is coming?

We have a number of projects coming forward that we expect to launch in late 2023/early 2024.
 
New Town electric cargo bike hub

GO4 café and volunteers are setting up a shared electric cargo bike hub on Old Heath Recreation Ground. The hub will contain a longtail cargo bike, a two wheeled cargo box bike and a three wheeled cargo box trike. The cargo bikes will be bookable via the internet and hireable by the day. To find out more visit New Town Bike Hub.

eBike/eCargo Bike short term loan scheme for residents

We are in the process of setting up a short term hire scheme. This will enable residents to borrow an eBike or eCargo bike for a period of time, so that you can see how it works for your needs before making a decision on whether to purchase your own.

Cycling Safely

Everyone who joins any of our  schemes must demonstrate competency to cycle so in preparation for joining, please book onto an adult advanced cycle skills course which is available free of charge. If you aren’t very confident to cycle, then look at the courses available and we recommend you start with a level 1 and 2 or adult confidence course to help build skills and confidence.
 

What if we live outside the town centre?

You are welcome to come into the city centre to access the bike hub. However, this is just the first bike hub and we are already working with a number of community groups to develop bike hubs in other areas of the city. We anticipate the first community led bike hub will be set up in New Town.

Keep up to date!

If you want to know more or would like to be kept up to date with the latest news on the shared transport schemes please email clean.air@colchester.gov.uk.

Further information about the Green Shared Travel Hubs project

This project forms part of our Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) funded clean air work, which aims to reduce harmful air pollution in Colchester making the air cleaner and healthier for residents and visitors. Find out more about the Clean Air for Colchester campaign.