BERYL Bike users often cycle on pavements and don’t wear helmets, a city councillor has said.

But councillors are hugely positive about the take-up of the scheme and say they are always being asked whether more bays can be installed around the city.

A report put before Worcester City Council’s health and wellbeing committee on Monday (October 21) said there have been more than 20,000 rides on Beryl Bikes since the scheme launched in June.

Cllr Alex Kinnersley said: “We’re all in support of it and it’s great to see it being used so widely.

“But I have had some feedback, that whilst it’s a good thing that people can just hop on a bike and use it, the downside is that people often aren’t equipped with reflective gear, bike helmets and they may not always be in the best state to be on a bike.

“And I’ve had some feedback from residents that they are experiencing consternation with seeing people on Beryl Bikes riding on pavements and generally not riding bikes as one would hope.

“Difficult to know how we would tackle that but is there something that we could at least raise with Beryl to say ‘is there anything we can do?’

READ MORE: University of Worcester adds Beryl bikes to campuses

“I suspect it isn’t an unusual situation - people jumping on bikes without helmets - but we want to avoid the scenario where someone comes a cropper.”

Lloyd Griffiths, the council’s corporate director for operations, homes and communities, said: “I’m aware there are comms around hiring a bike and you have to sign a disclaimer in terms of how you’re going to use it.

“I suppose it’s to what extent the council can and should get involved in what should be responsible behaviour when you’re using the bike.”

He said he would see if there was anything the council could do.

Cllr Elena Round said: “What has been interesting about the Beryl Bikes is now they’ve been rolled out for a number of months is the amount of residents who have been contacting all of us to say ‘can we have a Beryl Bike bay here?’.

“So I think that’s testament to the success of the scheme, but it’s also making residents more aware that when they’re riding their own bikes - where can they safely store them when they go into community centres and other public buildings?”

Cllr Sarah Murray said: “There is still no bay in St Nicholas ward. It was suspended a few days after it was first launched and we’re still waiting for a replacement bay.”

Cllr Round said councillors and officers were “really working hard” to get the bay replaced.