To address the issue of bike theft in Wokingham, the idea of a cycle parking project became a collaborative effort between Wokingham Town Council and My Journey, Wokingham Borough Council, as both had aims to provide secure cycle storage in the town centre.
My Journey’s proviso was to include sedum roofs and Wokingham Town Council’s was for it to be accessed easily via an app. Several potential suppliers were investigated but they were deemed too expensive and could not provide easy app access for users.
In January 2022, My Journey secured an air quality grant from DEFRA that could fund the purchase of the lockers and after considering several companies, SpokeSafe was contracted as they could meet all the requirements with the technology.
The secure lockers are managed and maintained by SpokeSafe, which offers a simple online booking system and round-the-clock email and phone support with access via a code for maximum security (booking a daily slot for just £1 with future plans to offer more slots during the day).
Wokingham Borough Council was responsible for the preparation of the sites and subsequent installation of eight secure cycle lockers took place, four in Denmark Street carpark in November 2022 and four at Carnival Hub in March 2023 (using two locations made it accessible for more people in the community).
Wokingham Town Council is responsible for monitoring the app and booking system which had low usage to start with, but both councils are now upping promotion to increase take-up.
Julie Pillai
My Journey, WoBC
