People in Stirling are getting free access to a fleet of 200 bikes in order to help them travel safely, sustainably and socially-distanced.

The Scottish city’s scheme – for an initial three months – lets people ride for up to half an hour at no charge. After that time they’ll need to drop them off or renew at a docking station.

The news comes after Cycling Scotland’s nationwide network of cycle counters recorded a significant increase in people cycling during May, with numbers up in one Stirling location by 61% compared to this time last year.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said Scotland has seen cycling increase dramatically and it’s “important we continue to secure this sustainable shift in travel behaviour through initiatives like this.”