A FLEET of dockless bikes has made their debut in Southampton this week.

Yobikes has launched a fleet of 300 yellow bikes which will get cyclists zipping around the city.

Dubbed the “smart bike-sharing scheme”, the bikes are locked and unlocked with a free mobile app and docked at any rack in the city.

Micheal Qian, co-founder of YoBikes, said: “Southampton is a university city and from our research, we identified that as well as this sector we identified casual users and tourists as a key market.

“The council also want to promote cycling in the city which is why we choose Southampton which is a vibrant city, ideal for getting around and discovering all it has to offer by bike.”

The £500,000 scheme, which is also running in Bristol, has more than 25,000 registered users around the world in Singapore, Germany, and Ireland as well as the UK.

Yobikes will be working with staff from cycling charity Monty’s Bike Hub, who will maintain the bikes.

Dale Bostock, from Southampton City Council, said: “We are keen to promote cycling in the city to help improve health and wellbeing, air quality and reduce congestion on our roads. The cycle hire scheme is low cost and accessible to everyone who lives and works in city; offering a viable alternative to driving, in particular for shorter trips.”

Mark Baulch, head of policy and representation at Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “The Hampshire Chamber of Commerce welcomes this project which will offer an alternative form of transport for many people in the city of Southampton.

“With this venture involving Hampshire businesses and potentially removing vehicles from our roads, there are plenty of possible positive outcomes including reduction in congestion and an improvement in air quality as people are encouraged to change to a more sustainable travel plan.

“Residents, visitors, students and businesses could all gain from this.”

Hiring the bikes costs £1 for an hour, £5 capped for 24 hours, with the option of buying a one-year subscription for £39.

YoBike is the brainchild of tech entrepreneurs Bin Wang and Michael Qian, who founded the concept in 2016.