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Watford Council has launched Hertfordshire’s first bike share scheme and a digital travel app, in the first wave of its “transport revolution”.
The new and free travel app, named ‘Travel Watford’, is available on iOS and Android phones and already has over 600 individual downloads. It draws on large banks of data, providing information on potential modes of transport to local destinations, including trains, fixed-route buses, the new on-demand bus service and the recently announced electric car club.
The app aims to promote sustainable transport, helping Watford to become a greener, less congested and less car-dependent town.
The Beryl bike share scheme is the first of its kind in Hertfordshire and is comprised of 200 pedal bikes followed by 100 e-bikes to be rolled out later in the year.
The bikes are available 24/7 at 70 locations around the town and will link Watford’s Metropolitan Line Station with Watford Junction Station. The service can be accessed through the free Beryl App, which manages the process of paying for journeys around town.
Elected mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “This new bike share scheme will give people another option for travelling around our town, help to make our air cleaner and reduce congestion.
“This is part of a series of improvements which also includes introducing on-demand buses later this month and our new Travel Watford transport app. Everyone knows that our roads are busy and so it’s right that we take action to improve transport in Watford.”
