Swansea is getting hire e-bikes you can ride around the clock from next week. The first 70 go out at Swansea University’s campuses, in the city centre and at the main transport hubs.
The fleet will grow in stages to 500 within a year, Swansea Council says. It has appointed Voi Technology to run the scheme.
There are no fixed stations to collect the bikes from or return them to: the scheme is what’s known as dockless. The council says it will be the only one of its kind in Wales.
Your first three Voi rides are free, then it’s 20p a minute
Rides will cost 50p to unlock and 20p a minute, so a 15-minute trip comes to £3.50. For the first six months the unlock fee is waived, bringing it to £3.
New customers get their first three 15-minute rides free. Stickers on the bikes give the code: START3.
Day, week and monthly passes will also be on sale, with discounts for people on low incomes, NHS workers, over-60s, disabled people, military personnel and students, the council says.
Cllr Rebecca Fogarty, cabinet member for community, said: “Key to our decision to partner with Voi was the affordable nature of the scheme.”
She said the passes and discounts made it “a cost-effective way to travel around Swansea”.
Singleton Park and SA1 are among the first places the e-bikes will reach
The early focus will include links to Singleton Park, the council says, along with SA1. It says the scheme is meant to tie in with the Swansea Bay Metro and the Strand hub as they are developed.
Cllr Andrew Stevens, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said: “It has long been our ambition to have a Swansea-wide e-bike scheme and I’m delighted that we are partnering with Voi.”
Similar schemes elsewhere in the UK had “quickly become very well used”, he said. He added: “I’d encourage everyone to give it a go.”
The Voi scheme will create 18 jobs in Swansea, the council says
As well as the 18 jobs, there will be apprenticeships, the council says, and it adds that the bikes will run on 100% renewable energy, backed by zero-emission service vehicles.
James Bolton, Voi’s UK general manager, said: “Swansea is a brilliant city for shared micromobility, and we’re thrilled to be launching here.”
Voi would offer “a flexible, low-emission way to travel across the city, whether they’re commuting, connecting to public transport, or exploring everything Swansea has to offer”, he said.
Swansea’s existing bike hire works differently. Swansea University Cycles, run with nextbike, used docking stations at hubs including Singleton Campus, Bay Campus and Knab Rock when it relaunched in 2024.
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