Bike share operator Beryl says there has been increasing demand for the service in Watford, whereas bays have scaled back in parts of Poole and Bournemouth due to low demand.

Data recorded by Beryl shows that the usage of its bikes in town has increased over the past few months, and with the easing of lockdown, it is expected that demand will only surge further.

Beryl says since launching in Watford last year, over 90,000 journeys have been taken by 13,000 riders, with 359,000km being covered throughout the town.

Notably, these figures have been recorded over what has mainly been a lockdown, or a form of Covid restrictions.

In March it was announced that seven new docking stations will be placed across Watford this year – nearing the target to install 82 bays across the whole borough.

Beryl, which also operates in several other areas in England, will see more than a dozen bays removed in parts of the southern seaside towns.

This comes after Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council found some bays were only being used once every three days on average.

It was said to be a “temporary measure” that could be reserved when demand increases in summer.

Watford Borough Council however are adamant that the demand for the service is there, and there is no need to follow suit with Bournemouth.

A spokesperson from Beryl said: ‘’As the weather improves and lockdown restrictions are slowly eased, demand for our services will continue to rise as rollout of the scheme expands. Our aim in Watford is to ensure that everyone is no more than a 5 minute walk away from a Beryl bay. We’re making great progress, as that figure currently stands at 83 per cent of residents.

"Beryl operates it’s cycle hire schemes around the country, tailoring each specifically to meet a number of objectives which vary across each scheme. We want to make sure we’re providing the best service possible for people, and our leading micromobility technology and data capture allows us to make changes and adjustments where necessary across all our schemes.

‘’Beryl Bikes and e-Bikes are a perfect way for people to get across town and we look forward to enabling many more people in Watford to enjoy the benefits of healthy, safe, and sustainable transport.’’

Instead of scaling back in Watford, the council is expanding the current 200 pedal bikes and 100 e-bikes available from 59 locations at town.

The new locations introduced this year include:

• Watford Junction

• Watford High Street

• Bushey Mill Lane

• Heather Lane

• St Albans Road

• Rhodes Way

• Appletree Walk

Watford Borough Council says that further bay locations are under review.