Beryl Bikes Experiencing More Vandalism Than Expected in Guildford

Published on: 8 Dec, 2024
Updated on: 8 Dec, 2024

A Beryl e-bike left in Burpham, away from any designated bay.

By Martin Giles

The Guildford Dragon NEWS is continuing to get reports of dumped e-bikes in and around Guildford, which has raised questions about the security of the bikes; can it somehow be bypassed so that significant charges are not imposed?

Dumped bikes not only cause a nuisance in themselves (see: Guildford Can’t Be Trusted with E-Bikes for Hire) but it also means that if they have been damaged they will be out of circulation until they can be repaired. This could contribute to an observed shortage of bikes at some locations.

The e-bike bay in North Street. Levels of bike vandalism are understood to be higher in this area.

In early November we posed Beryl Bikes some questions (see: Dumped E-bike Provokes Questions) but as some problems are persisting we decided to ask a few more…

It is clear that the bikes are popular and being well used. Can you please give any updated stats about usage and say which bays are the busiest/ most popular?

The bikes have been very popular since launch, clocking up over 17,000 journeys across more than 37,000 kilometres. They’ve also generated over 4,000 hours of physical activity. The most popular bays (by journey start data) are:
1. Veterinary School
2. University Library
3. Ivy Arts Centre

We have received observations that bays are often empty, which makes it difficult to plan usage. When will more bikes be deployed?

A recent spate of vandalism has impacted e-bike availability in some areas of the scheme. There are plans to introduce further bikes into Guildford over the coming weeks to boost availability while our mechanics work to fix the backlog of jobs.

We are still receiving reports of bikes being dumped/left away from bays. Why doesn’t the penalty charge prevent this? Some believe the payment system can be bypassed. Can you discount that?

It is frustrating and disappointing to see the results of vandalism and antisocial behaviour, but we are proactively taking a proactive multi-agency approach to reduce the number of incidents.

We are currently working with Surrey Police to boost patrols in hot spot areas at key times and identifying and seizing bikes being ridden illegally or in an antisocial manner. We are also assisting with any investigations into incidents of theft or criminal damage and retain the option to suspend and ban/remove accounts for improper use of the scheme.

We are also working on implementing new measures that help identify bikes that have been taken illegally.

You have not directly answered part of the question. Can you rule out that the security of Beryl Bikes has not been compromised and that both the electronic and mechanical systems cannot be bypassed or broken in some way?

This is sensitive information that, if published, could pose a crime risk by encouraging similar incidents.

What is the nature of the vandalism you mention? Does it include breaking the locking mechanism so bikes can be stolen?

See above. The information is sensitive to Beryl and Surrey Police.

How many penalty charges for bikes being left away from designated bays have been levied?

To date, we have issued 3,352 charges to riders for not adhering to the terms and conditions of use. We have also permanently banned ten users for severe or persistent misuse of the scheme.

Abandoned Beryl Bike in Markenfield Road

We have been told there is a team of just two operatives who manage the bikes: redistributing, collecting, recharging etc. Shouldn’t there be a bigger team so stray bikes can be collected more quickly and more bikes put back in circulation more quickly?

We currently have a team of six managing the operations for the Guildford scheme. They work incredibly hard in tandem with our Customer Team to collect any damaged bikes, repair them in the workshop and get them back onto the street as soon as they’ve passed rigorous safety testing.

Are all the team of six you mention working exclusively on the ground in Guildford redistributing, collecting, and recharging?

The six members of staff undertake a variety of roles including those mentioned above.

Is the further rollout on track? Can you give more details of the programme for new bays and their locations?

The next rollout of bikes is set for spring 2025, which will increase the number of e-bikes to 300. The locations of the new bays will be confirmed closer to that time.

We have been told that two bays have been closed/removed, one on Aldershot Road and one in Stoughton. Can you confirm and if they have been removed, why?

Those bays have been temporarily closed after they were identified as a hot spot for the recent spate of vandalism. This process is under constant review alongside our scheme partners.

The Guildford Dragon asked Surrey Police to confirm that extra police resources have been deployed to assist as described, that there had been a “boost” to patrols in hot spot areas and, if so, how much extra resource is being deployed and where has it come from?

In the response a spokesperson for Surrey Police did not mention the bike scheme specifically saying: “Areas within Guildford form part of our hotspot policing approach, which is the data-driven targeting of resources and activities to those places where crime is most concentrated.

“We know disorder is not evenly spread within neighbourhoods but often clustered in small locations and that by focusing activity within these hotspots, we can prevent criminality in these specific areas and, potentially, in the wider geographic area too.

“Through funding secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, we’ve conducted additional patrols within key areas across the county and overall that’s led to an additional 3,000 hours of patrol time, with 65 arrests.

“In relation to crime affecting businesses in our town, we work closely with businesses to identify and discuss any crime trends, as well as provide crime prevention advice.”

Cllr Fiona Davidson

SCC Cllr Fiona Davidson (R4GV, Guildford South East) attended a recent meeting with representatives from Beryl Bikes and other council officials. She told the Dragon: “Beryl has stated that they are replacing the current model of e-bike in Guildford with an older model that is more secure, until security on the newer model can be improved.

“It’s good to hear that action is being taken, and hopefully the current issues will diminish.

“I’m supportive of this scheme, but given over £1 million investment by Surrey County Council it’s disappointing that the model of e-bike introduced has encouraged vandalism and criminality.

“Beryl has also issued a statement that they are working with Surrey Police to boost patrols in hot spot areas and supporting the police to investigate criminal behaviour. I haven’t been able to confirm this with the police, and the statement from the police surprisingly makes no mention of Beryl bikes.

“I’m sure Guildford residents would prefer the police to be working on the current sources of crime rather than having to deal with an increase in vandalism, criminality and anti-social behaviour which is the direct result of bikes with inadequate security.”