Penny Mordaunt MP is inviting Portsmouth residents to take part in an online survey:
A 'Boris bike' style scheme for Portsmouth.
Portsmouth is in a state of transformation and regeneration, with record levels of tourists visiting all parts of the city. Portsmouth is hosting more spectacular events such as the Victorious festival and the Americas Cup. The University of Portsmouth is expanding its offering and student accommodation at an impressive rate. Parking is difficult in many parts of the city, especially on Portsea island, and we need a number of initiatives to try and tackle this as Portsmouth regeneration continues.
Penny Mordaunt MP said,
"We need a number of schemes to help people use alternatives to the car. With the help of colleagues and transport experts I’ve been looking at whether a Boris Bike scheme would work in Portsmouth. I met with the roads minister (Jesse Norman MP) this week to discuss the details of making a scheme viable and the learnings from London, as well as the need for quite routes for both commuters and leisure cycling in the city. I think it could work here with the right commercial support.
Much of the costs associated with the scheme are from moving bikes around London, but from previous surveys I think people are likely to make round trips. People who want to cycle for leisure also are put off having a bike because they don’t want to maintain it, or don’t have the space to keep one. I can see local residents using the scheme as well as visitors to the city. I'm keen to canvass the views of the wider public to feed into this idea and to garner if there is widespread support for such a scheme".
Penny has also spoken to Boris Johnson about his experiences of setting up the scheme.
You can take part in the online survey here by visiting www.pennymordaunt.com or Penny's Facebook page: facebook.com/PennyMordauntOfficial
