A BIKE-sharing company met with Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown to discuss the possibility of greater regulation of the industry.

nextbike has received widespread parliamentary support after managing director, Julian Scriven, recently met with a number of MPs in Westminster, including Cotswolds MP, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, to discuss the need for a national industry standard for bike-share schemes.

Mr Scriven, said: “It was great to speak to so many MPs and it was interesting to listen to their concerns about bike-share schemes in their constituencies.

“All were in favour of bike-share and recognised the health, transport and community benefits such schemes bring. But they were unanimous in their desire for greater regulation and the introduction of a ‘national standard’ to ensure schemes are delivered in the safest and most manageable way in their constituencies.

“To have MPs now raising the issue in Parliament is great. It’s vital that bike-share regulation and standards are on the national agenda and as a responsible operator, we will continue to push this forwards.

“I hope the Department of Transport will listen and act on the growing concerns among local authorities about their inability to effectively manage and regulate bike-share schemes in their area.”

The issue will continue to be debated next week at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group on Thursday.

First launched in Bath in 2014 and also operating in Milton Keynes, Exeter, Belfast, Stirling, Edinburgh and the University of Warwick, nextbike has grown to become one of the most integrated modes of transport for users across the country.

nextbikes are available 24 hours a day and users can register and hire bikes in just a couple of minutes. The cycle-share scheme is one of the cheapest ways to get around the cities within which it operates, with fees starting from as little as 16p per day.