HILLINGDON is to get its own public bike scheme after Brunel University raised more than £85,000 to secure a winning spot in the Santander Cycles University Challenge.

Following a flurry of late pledges, Brunel narrowly pipped Birmingham to second place, securing £85,448 in funding, 175% of the original target.

Eight docking stations and 50 red Santander and Brunel-branded bikes will now be fitted in the early spring at locations around Hillingdon, including Uxbridge town centre, the university campus and Hillingdon Hospital, which partnered with Brunel on the scheme.

It’s hoped the bikes will help ease rush-hour traffic, reduce pollution and encourage commuters to ditch their cars in favour of cycling.

The Brunel Bikes scheme, which will be open to everyone. It will be installed and operated by Nextbike, with cycles accessed using either a Nextbike membership, or one-off card payment.

Public membership will be £60 per year, while Brunel students and staff will get a discounted rate of £30. Membership allows for unlimited 60-minute trips per day.

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Prof Julia Buckingham, Brunel Vice Chancellor, said: “I’m so proud of everyone involved in making this a reality, and I can’t wait to see our fleet of ‘Brunel Bikes’ out on the streets of Hillingdon.”

Five universities vied for a capital investment worth more than £100,000, with funding going to the two able to crowd-fund running costs soonest.

Having smashed the original goal of £48,650, Brunel’s target was ‘stretched’ to £75,000, which was also beaten.

In total, 438 supporters pledged between £5 and £5,000 to the scheme, ultimately helping Brunel take second place, just behind Swansea but ahead of Birmingham, Portsmouth and Surrey.

The additional funding will allow the scheme to be expanded to include West Drayton’s new Crossrail Station.

Pauldy Otermans, President of the Union of Brunel Students, said: “Getting from town to campus and back on the bus costs £3, but membership comes as low as £30 a year.”