Norfolk celebrates 2 million journeys by Beryl

Norfolk County Council, in partnership with Beryl and National Grid, is celebrating a major milestone for the county's innovative shared transport scheme, which has now recorded more than two million journeys since its launch in March 2020.

The total of 2,057,859 trips covers an impressive 5.79 million kilometres, the equivalent of riding around the world 144 times. By swapping car journeys for two wheels, riders have helped save around 990 tonnes of CO₂, keeping Norwich's air cleaner, streets less congested, and communities healthier.

Over 100,000 people have used the scheme, with the average active rider taking 20.8 trips.

Journeys are made up of:

• 424,186 pedal bike rides
• 407,292 e-bike rides
• 1,226,350 e-scooter rides

Feedback from users shows that 41% of these journeys would otherwise have been made by driving or being a passenger in a private car, and a further 24% would have taken a taxi or ride-hailing service, while 5% would have used a motorbike or moped instead.

Councillor Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport at Norfolk County Council, said: "Reaching two million journeys is a fantastic achievement and a clear sign that people across Norfolk are embracing greener, healthier ways to travel. With now over 190 bays across Norfolk paired with improved infrastructure* for people on bikes more residents than ever can access convenient and sustainable transport."

This success plays a vital role in helping us meet our net-zero ambitions and improve air quality across the county."

Phil Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Beryl, added:"Milestones like this are about more than just numbers; they're proof that shared transport is becoming part of everyday life for thousands of people in Norwich. It's particularly encouraging to see such a high proportion of journeys replacing car trips, as well as so many riders telling us they now cycle more often. That means cleaner air, less congestion, and healthier communities, which is exactly what schemes like ours are designed to deliver."

The latest Beryl Annual Rider Report, based on feedback from Norwich riders in 2024, also shows that the top three reasons for signing up are convenience (60%), speed (39%), and cost-effectiveness (30%), while the primary purpose for most users was commuting to work (35%).

Launched in March 2020 as a bike share scheme, e-bikes were added in July 2020, followed by e-scooters in January 2021.

Beryl vehicles can be hired via the free Beryl app, available on the App Store and Google Play. E-scooter riders must hold a valid UK driving licence and are encouraged to provide feedback to support ongoing service improvements.

All Beryl e-scooters are approved by the Department for Transport and meet the highest safety standards. Beryl continues to consult with key organisations as the trial period progresses.

As a B-Corp certified company, Beryl is committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

For more information, visit the Beryl website.