Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge will visit the new OFO bike depot this Friday to put the dockless bike sharing scheme to the test. Mr Zeichner will download the app and trial the process to understand how easy it is for Cambridge residents to utilise this 21st century technology. 

The visit comes a few days after Daniel asked a question in the House of Commons to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP, whether he would be willing to meet with him to discuss how local councils can better improve the implementation of the schemes amid out-of-date legislation. The Secretary of State replied that he would be ‘very happy’ to discuss the scheme, and others, that may help to innovate how people get around cities, such as Cambridge. 

The visit on Friday will be the second time Mr Zeichner has met with OFO and he is looking to understand whether the bike sharing scheme has been successful in Cambridge, as well as the current limitations. Mr Zeichner has repeatedly raised in Westminster that the local authorities need the relevant regulatory powers to ensure that the schemes can be implemented correctly if they are going to become a part of the cities’ transport infrastructure. 

Daniel says, “bike sharing schemes, such as OFO, have the potential be part of the transport revolution that our cities so desperately need to tackle the strain of ever-rising car congestion. With cities facing huge increases in their populations, and poor air quality starting to have severe health consequences, it is well overdue that we look at alternative ways for people to get from A to B, and I am up for looking at how technologies can facilitate those changes. 

I am delighted that the team at OFO will welcome me tomorrow to see how their operation is running in Cambridge and hopefully I can take what I learn back to Westminster to help improve local legislation to make this a success. Not just for Cambridge, but for cities and towns across the country.”