Bee Network unveils plans for a further 300 e-bikes

A further 300 e-bikes will soon be available to hire in Greater Manchester, transport bosses have revealed.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) also said it ultimately hoped to include the so-called Bee Bikes - officially known as Starling Bank Bikes - in the region's newly expanded 'tap and go' ticketing system.

Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester's active travel commissioner, said the cost of hiring bikes and e-bikes would be included within the Bee Network's new capped fares.

There are currently about 1,000 bikes for hire in the region. Dame Sarah said hundreds more e-bikes represented a 30% expansion in their number.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The bikes being part of the Bee Network is really important.

"If the bikes are included in the fare cap people are really incentivised to make their whole journey using the Bee Network."

Britain's most successful Paralympian, who won her 19th gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games, said she wanted to ensure that bikes can be hired within the Bee Network app.

Currently, Bee Bikes are available for hire via their own app.

The bikes are largely situated in the city centre and in parts of south Manchester, Trafford and Salford.

While most are traditional pedal-powered ones, a sizable minority are electric-assisted.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.