Lake Macquarie will soon be home to hundreds of e-bikes as part of a new 12 month trial coming to the city.
The bikes will be powered through an app, paid for as you go and can be virtually docked.
The technology will use geo-fencing to restrict movement within a certain radius. That map is yet to be formalised.
The company rolling out the bikes, Beam says 500 of the bikes will be rolled out across the city and over 50 local jobs will be created as part of the trial.
If you’ve been to Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide or Canberra you may have seen the bikes in motion.
The trial is in partnership with Lake Macquarie Cities economic development arm, Dantia.
CEO Josh Sattler says the service will provide another means of connection and movement throughout the city.
“There are many benefits to using shared micro-mobility, from helping locals connect through a safe, efficient and fun service, to extending the range for pedestrians so they can visit more local businesses.
“We are looking to reduce congestion and parking issues in the city by encouraging people to leave their cars behind.
“Businesses in Lake Mac are bouncing back post COVID-19, so now is a great time to introduce e-bikes in the city to make shops and venues more accessible to everyone and increase foot traffic,” Mr Sattler said.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser has welcomed the news saying it will help gauge the community’s appetite for a pay-as-you-go system.
Not long after the rollout of the bikes we could be seeing e-scooters as well, when the NSW Government undertakes it’s shared e-scooter trial later in the year.