11 new E-bike charging stations have been recently installed at various sites in Aberystwyth by Ceredigion County Council following receipt of an Active Travel Fund grant from the Welsh Government. These charging stations are free of charge to all and are the first to be installed by a local authority in Wales.
Three new E-bike stations have been installed in the staff cycle shelter at the Council’s Canolfan Rheidol Offices and this coupled with the Cycle to Work Scheme is hoped to encourage more staff to cycle to work and help reduce parking pressures and traffic congestion in support of our carbon reduction targets.
Councillor Alun Williams, Member Champion for Sustainability, said “I use an e-bike myself and they’re becoming increasingly popular. They can help a much wider range of people to enjoy the health and environmental benefits of regular cycling, especially older riders or people with injuries who appreciate the boost the e-bikes provide. I’m very pleased to see Ceredigion County Council leading the way with the installation of these new e-bike charging stations.”
The Council is pleased to have worked in partnership with the National Library of Wales and Aberystwyth University to install new cycle shelters incorporating E-bike charging stations.
Three E-bike stations have been fitted in a new cycle shelter at the National Library of Wales. Their Head of Estates, Mr Huw Williams, said, ‘‘We have been happy to have worked with Ceredigion County Council on this project which will see our staff and visitors able to charge their E-bikes free of charge at the Library. Cyclists making journeys to the National Library of Wales have also benefitted from a new cycle wheel ramp which provides an alternative route option instead of using the busy main road.”
In addition, similar facilities have been installed at the Aberystwyth University Sports Centre and also at the rear of the Arts Centre, and there are ongoing plans to install another two stations near the Porters Lodge at the entrance to Penglais Campus with a further unit to be installed at Fferm Penglais. This makes five in total, serving Penglais Campus and they are accessible for students, staff and visitors.
Mr Dewi Day, Sustainability Advisor at the University, said ‘‘Thanks to our work with Ceredigion County Council, cycle parking provision has improved and these new E-bike stations are a great addition to our campus facilities. Cyclists can either remove the battery from their bike and place it on charge, securely inside the station, or they can plug into the station and run their charging cable to the battery on their bike.’’
The aim is to encourage more people to make Active Travel journeys and if these stations prove to be successful, the Council will seek to roll out more units in the future.
Visit www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/travel-roads-parking/active-travel/ for more information on Active Travel.
13/06/2019