Rickshaw bikes arrive in Shrewsbury

Bike shuttles are being trialled in Shrewsbury as part of a new strategy to encourage active travel in the town centre.

The rickshaw service, called the Shrewsbury Rickshaw, will be free to use and will take passengers from St Julian’s Friars, up Wyle Cop and the High Street, past the Market Hall and through the Quarry on a loop.

There will be three bikes running every weekend for the next two months initially, and potentially for longer if they prove to be popular.  Routes will be kept under review so visit www.shropshirecyclehub.uk for the latest information. The project is being run by Shropshire Cycle Hub supported by Shrewsbury BID and the Invest in Shropshire Economic Recovery Programme.

Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, said the aim of the project was to help people move around the town centre.

“At weekends the town centre is currently free of traffic from 11am to 4pm, so that gives us the opportunity to trial greener ways of transport like this. We know that some people may not feel comfortable walking into town from a car park so the Shrewsbury Rickshaw will be a great alternative.

“They will be free to use, with three bikes working in a loop collecting people from St Julian’s Friars and transporting them into the heart of Shrewsbury and back."

Mark Fermor, chair of the Trustees of Shropshire Cycle Hub, said: “We are delighted to be working with Shrewsbury BID to bring this innovative and sustainable solution to Shrewsbury. This is a great chance to showcase how we can use rickshaw bikes, and other forms of cycling, to reduce traffic in the town centre and make it a more inviting place for everybody to enjoy.”