PLANS to have a new bike share scheme in Southampton are still on the table.

City bosses are looking into options for a new cycle scheme in the city and are inviting providers to come forward.

The news comes after bicycle hire scheme YoBikes pulled out of Southampton last month.

The scheme, which started in 2017, allowed its users to unlock and ride bikes around the city with the use of an app.

Last month civic chiefs said they will look into bike rental within the city. 

They have now confirmed that plans are ongoing.

Cllr Jacqui Rayment, deputy leader and cabinet member for place and transport at Southampton City Council (SCC), said: “Limited access to bikes can often be a barrier to cycling for many people and, alongside our My Journey programme and wider developments in cycle infrastructure across the city, bike share schemes have a significant role to play in enabling more people to travel sustainably.

"The council is continuing to explore a number of suitable options that would enable us to successfully introduce such a scheme in the city and would invite any providers interested in working with us on this to submit an expression of interest.”

The city council had previously stressed that  YoBikes  was a privately run and funded service operating independently of SCC. 

But Cllr Rayment had said that civic chiefs believe that a bike rental scheme can be successful in Southampton and that the council would be looking at it

as part of its commitment to deliver a more sustainable city. 

The news comes after the authority launched its Green City Charter in June in a bid to tackle air pollution.

The reasons behind the end of YoBikes in Southampton have not been revealed.

Last year Dave Munday, operations director of YoBikes in Southampton, suggested that he may leave the city due to acts of vandalism towards the bikes – although he later dismissed this idea.

Providers who would like to contact the council can email cycling@myjourneysouthampton.com.

As reported, a number of schemes to support cyclists are also being run across the city.

These include new cycle paths linking Southampton to the nearby areas.

As reported, new cycle paths inspired to those in Copenhagen, were officially opened in July to link Southampton to Chandler’s Ford.

A segregated cycle lane has also been created to link Southampton to Totton and the New Forest.

The £470,000 cycleway along Third Avenue runs parallel to Millbrook Road West.