Bike for free in Glasgow through new City Council scheme

With the easing of lockdown restrictions, local authorities want to promote cycling as a way to get around and stay healthy

Earlier this week, the Scottish city of Glasgow announced that its bike-sharing service will be getting a special summertime, post-lockdown upgrade and promotion. With the steady lifting of restrictions in the United Kingdom and in Scotland, cities across the country are looking for new ways to encourage their citizens to go out and engage in physical activities that keep them and their fellow locals safe and healthy.

Cycling is among the best activities one can take part in while also practising social distancing. Many cities across Europe have already begun expanding their bike-sharing fleets in an effort to support the alternative mobility solution and to create better conditions for keeping their populations healthier and more active in the reopening period.

Glasgow taking care of its constituents

Glasgow’s bike-sharing scheme was first launched all the way back in 2014. Since then, nextbike has made available a total of 800 bikes at 79 locations around the city. The promotion that the city authorities are launching is available to all citizens of Glasgow and concerns all of nextbike’s fleet.

For starters – and for those new to the service – each bike will be free to use for the first 30 minutes of each journey. For those that just need to get somewhere fast, that should be the perfect opportunity to finally make use of nextbike. Meanwhile, for already active subscribers, the grace period is extended to a total of 60 minutes, allow for long leisurely rides around the city.

The promotion will be valid until 24 August 2020 and is funded by Transport for Scotland’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme. There is no limit as to how many times each citizen can make use of the service, turning it into the perfect mobility solution for these post-lockdown months.