Brighton bike scheme co-sponsor revealed

American Express, which also sponsors Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club's stadium, was revealed as co-sponsor of the scheme today (October 17).

BTN Bikeshare is also sponsored by Portslade-based Life Water, and is operated by Hourbike.

It launched on Friday, September 1, and has already seen more than 12,000 residents and visitors to the city taking advantage of the new transport scheme.

Pete Taswell, vice president of marketing at American Express, said: “We are thrilled to be involved in such a brilliant initiative. From the first meetings I had with the team from Hourbike, I knew that this was something that American Express had to get involved with. We are passionate about our role in the community and this is a great way to bring bike travel to everyone who lives in and visits Brighton and Hove.”

Tim Caswell, owner of Hourbike, said: “I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with Amex. Our joint intentions are to deliver a sustainable, environmentally positive transport network for the city, as well as improve health through increased cycling."

The bikes can be rented out through the SoBi smartphone up, under a casual rental plan, priced at 3p per minute (£1 minimum spend), or through an annual membership, which provides an hour of daily cycling for £72.

Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “This is great news. It’s good that BTN BikeShare has found a high-profile sponsor with strong connections to the city.”