Greater Manchester, UK

Greater Manchester is a city region in North West England, covering an area of 1,276 square kilometers. It is home to over 2.8 million people and comprises 10 boroughs. Cycling levels are low in Greater Manchester. Only 5% of total trips in this region are made by bikes, whilst car trips account for 52%. As in other parts of the UK, SMM services were not widespread in the city region. They were only available in Manchester City, Salford, and Rochdale in 2022, which together cover an area of 343 square kilometers and have a population of 0.9 million.

In 2022, there was a publicly funded and managed, privately operated cycle hire scheme – the Bee Network Cycle Hire – in Manchester City. The bikes can be hired on a Pay As You Ride (PAYR) basis. Pedal bikes cost 50p to unlock and 5p per minute to ride. E-bikes cost £1 to unlock and 10p per minute to ride. This scheme is undergoing an expansion from just 30 docking stations to what is planned to be over 1500 stations in the Manchester City, Salford and town of Trafford.

As of 2022, e-scooters in England could only legally be ridden on public roads and paths as part of a trial permitted in some areas by the national government and managed by local authorities. Trials for e-scooters were launched in Salford and Rochdale in October 2020. In March 2022, shared e-scooters were taken out of operation in Rochdale, whilst the trial in Salford has been expanding, with more e-scooters and operators introduced to provide greater coverage across the region. Currently, around 300 shared e-scooters operated by Lime are available in Salford, costing £1 to unlock and 15p per minute to use. As of November 2022, the number of e-scooter rides in Salford has reached 430,000.