A new bike share scheme, launching in Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight this week, will give thousands of people the chance to enjoy two-wheeled travel

Beryl Bikes by Breeze is part of the Solent Future Transport Zone, funded by the Department for Transport.

It aims to help reduce congestion and CO2 emissions, improve air quality, and inspire healthy and affordable active travel choices across the Solent region. Starting with an initial pool of 200 pedal bikes and 235 e-bikes it will increase to a fleet of more than 1000 bikes across the region by spring of next year.

This bikeshare fleet joins Solent Transport’s e-scooter hire project, providing people across the region with more choice and opportunity to make sustainable journeys and improving travel options for all. Riders will be able to hire a bike through the new micromobility app, Breeze, developed by Solent Transport.

Breeze also lets you hire both Beryl and Voi e-scooters and plan journeys on buses and trains across south Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

In future there are plans for more features to be added including the ability to buy bus, rail and ferry tickets through the Breeze app. The bikes also work with the Beryl app.

As the scheme expands, most people living in the operating area will be within a five-minute walk of a hire bike. Providing bikes at more than 100 sites across the region, Beryl Bikes by Breeze will give better access to transport and inspire even more people to take up sustainable travel, helping to improve air quality and public health.

A mixture of pedal bikes and e-bikes are available for everyone aged 16 and above, offering fun, easy and sustainable travel for residents and visitors alike. In future, cargo bikes and adapted bikes will be added to the scheme, ensuring a wide range of user requirements are catered for. To find out more information, go to My Journey.