LIVERPOOL is set to introduce a cycle hire scheme in the city centre in a bid to reduce car journeys.

The idea was first floated last summer, after it was revealed the city was monitoring the introduction of an automated cycle hire scheme in the French capital, Paris.

The introduction of the scheme is now seen as being a key part of the city’s Year of the Environment in 2009, which is designed to be the first “legacy” year after Capital of Culture.

Last night, Cllr Peter Millea, executive member for development, said: “We are testing the water to see if there is a demand. This would be a pilot scheme over three years, during which time we’d expect to see between 100-200 bikes for hire across the city centre.”

How the system in Liverpool would work is yet to be decided but it could follow along similar lines to that of Paris.

The high-tech Velib (freedom bikes in French) system supplies 10,000 bikes from 750 ranks for up to one euro per half-hour.

Subscribers pay 29 euros (£20) a year and must make a 150 euro credit card deposit.

This buys cyclists 30 minutes each day on a card, and further time can be bought from automated stations in the city centre.

The card allows users to unlock bikes from the specialist ranks.

Cllr Millea added: “This is part of our plan to try and reduce congestion within the city centre and prevent needless car journeys.

“We have ambitious targets to limit the growth of traffic and increase the popularity of cycling, and this is one way of achieving that.

“There has been a huge increase in the number of people living and working in the city centre in the last few years, and this scheme is aimed at providing a cheap, green way of enabling them to get around.

“We have already held talks with employers in the city about how they could be involved.

“We also have a huge student population in the city and it would be a way for them to get to and from their halls of residence to lectures. The Students Guild and the universities are keen to see this happen.”

davidbartlett