Forth Valley Royal Hospital is one of a number of locations set to benefit from a new £35,0000 e-bike scheme which will see 100 fully electric bikes made available  at key locations across Forth Valley by May 2019.

The first e-bike stations are expected to be ready by Autumn 2018, with a number of mobile stations as well as a route connecting Larbert train station and Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

NHS Forth Valley Travel Manager Mark Craske said: “This is extremely good news for the Forth Valley area and I am particularly pleased to see a route connecting Larbert rail station and Forth Valley Royal Hospital. NHS Forth Valley has always advocated cycling as being particularly good for health and wellbeing, as well as an excellent green alternative in its transport policy, and I am sure the e bike scheme will be very popular.

The Canadian firm Bewegen will help Forth Environment Link deliver the UK’s first cross regional partnership electric bike share project, supported by Transport Scotland, NHS Forth Valley, Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council and Falkirk Council.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Electric bicycles have a central role to play in encouraging active travel as they are great for all types of people making every day journeys and are cheap to run and fantastic for the environment, particularly when compared with petrol and diesel cars.

“Having these e-bikes on hire at a range of locations can not only generate active travel journeys in the short term but convince people of the long-term benefits of travelling by bike on a regular basis.

“This is the latest in a series of announcements connected with the Active Travel budget being doubled to £80 million by the Scottish Government.”

The introduction of Pedelec electric bikes across Stirling, Falkirk and Alloa, will see Forth Environment Link’s bike share fleet increase by over 60 percent. The charity already has 160 pedal bicycles to hire through its Nextbike scheme.