Ebike rental firm looks to capitalise on ULEZ with discount deal
Drivers of polluting cars may have a new, two-wheeled option to get around the new £12.50 ULEZ charge after one of the city’s growing army of rental bike firms began offering a discount rate on its ebikes.
Swapfiets – Dutch for swap bikes – has dropped the cost of monthly rental of its high-end ebikes to the same price as the new, controversial emissions charge.
The ebike comes with a battery that can last for 60 hours as well as a lock, and the firm provides maintenance too should anything go wrong.
Swapfiets was the world’s first ‘bicycle as a service’ company and now serves 270,000 members in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain and Austria.
The ULEZ charge, which has been extended to outer London, forces drivers of polluting vehicles to cough up £12.50 in an effort to encourage cleaner air in the capital.
A scrappage scheme is in place for drivers to swap their dirty motors for cleaner, modern options.
Or, indeed, a bike. The offer is available to the first 50 customers to sign up, mentioning ULEZ.
Katarina Hlavata, UK Country Manager at Swapfiets, said: “As a company, we know the upcoming ULEZ charge is causing considerable stress and confusion for many people who regularly drive into Central London for work, but as a brand, we also recognise the importance of taking active steps to help improve air quality in London.