SCHOOL staff will swap cars for electric bikes under a new scheme launched in Newport this week.

An electric bike share scheme — a first for the Island — is being run by Wight Cycle Hire with support from the council.

Wight Cycle Hire has provided e-bikes to the Isle of Wight Education Federation (IWEF) to enable car-free staff journeys between Carisbrooke College, Medina College and the sixth form campus in central Newport.

The bikes are expected to replace up to 4,000 car journeys each year. and will reduce local congestion and carbon emissions.

The project is supported by the Isle of Wight Council’s Sustainable Travel Access Fund programme, using funding secured from the Department for Transport.

Schools project manager at Wight Cycle Hire, Ross Edmunds said: "We're delighted to support the IWEF with the launch of the Island’s first electric bike share scheme.

"In researching the scheme, we identified that between Medina College and VI Form campus, nearly 40 per cent of staff travel between the campuses each week, with 97 per cent currently using a private car."

Executive headteacher Matthew Parr-Burman said: "I am confident that this scheme will be popular amongst staff. Like all organisations, the IWEF has a desire to reduce its carbon footprint and using electric bikes for journeys between campuses is a great way of contributing to this reduction.

"The scheme will also contribute to staff wellbeing and may even deliver quicker journey times between sites."