The Big Issue ShareBike scheme announced last year is to launch in Aberdeen. The project will involve the recruitment and retraining of people who were previously unemployed to run it.

Operating on a monthly subscription or pay-as-you-go basis, 450 e-bikes made available for hire this summer.

The founder of the Big Issue, Lord John Bird, told the Evening Express: “Today, we celebrate our first Big Issue e-bikes public tender win with Aberdeen City Council.

“We are greatly looking forward to working in partnership with the council to deliver a friendly, accessible service across the area that will, in turn, recruit and retrain unemployed and vulnerable people in the local community and provide them with access to support and services to improve their lives.

“To add, by renting an e-bike from us, you will also be playing your part towards cutting harmful carbon emissions. So, not only will you be doing good for the environment, but you will be doing good for others. You will be ‘biking for good’.”

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Jenny Laing commented: “I’m delighted that we are partnering with the Big Issue and ShareBike to bring this e-bikes scheme to Aberdeen.

“If we are to achieve local, national and international climate change targets we need to reduce vehicle emissions within the city and encourage more people to use sustainable transport and embrace active travel.

“This scheme will give local residents and visitors the opportunity to travel around the city without adding to their carbon footprint and will ensure Aberdeen is a cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit now and in the future.”

The Big Issue e-bike share project arose from the publication’s Ride Out Recession Alliance – a bid to prevent a wave of poverty resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Employees will be paid a living wage and given support to improve their lives.