Northern Ireland's first community e-transport scheme in Rathlin is set to reach a major milestone with the delivery of 20 E-bikes.

These E-bikes follow on from the handover of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for community use to the Rathlin Development and Community Association (RDCA). The E-bikes will initially be available to islanders and visitors working on the island and potentially then to visitors to the island during the tourist season.

Minister Mallon presented the first of the bikes to Michael Cecil, Chair of the Rathlin Development and Community Association yesterday, 24 March.

Confirming the upcoming rollout, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: "E- bikes are a fantastic green and clean method of travel and last year I took the important steps to make them more accessible by introducing legislation to allow their use on public roads without the need for registration or licensing.

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"I am committed to delivering active and sustainable travel options for all citizens and we all must think about how we travel.

"Rathlin is a special place and has the ambition to be a carbon neutral island and this scheme will go some way to help them achieve this.  

"I now look forward to seeing the bikes being put to good use by islanders and visitors to the island."

Michael Cecil, Chair of the Rathlin Development and Community Association added: "Delivery of 20 high quality and durable E-bikes to the community of Rathlin is an important and very welcome step on our journey through carbon reduction. This scheme has the added benefits of encouraging the uptake of active travel, savings in fuel costs associated with traditional travel and further protecting the environment through emissions reduction.

"Conversations within the community give us the sense that demand for emission free travel will be high and as such we are creating a model that allows for expansion going forward. We see the provision of E-bikes and an E-car as a catalyst to encourage further private uptake, in fact we are already seeing that evidence with more and more carbon free solutions being installed on the Island.


"Rathlin would like to express its gratitude to Minister Mallon, her department and officials for their close and productive working relationship with the community throughout the years and look forward to further partnership working as we continue to positively develop the Island in line with the communities ambitions."