A COMPANY in Hereford has been finding new ways of beating the city's congested roads.

Avara Food has introduced bicycles for staff and installed cycling bays at its two sites at Yazor Road and Grandstand Road in Hereford.

This has been done to promote sustainable travel between their two sites and increase the number of employees cycling

Avara has partnered with Beryl, an urban cycling technology firm, to introduce this scheme, buying bicycles for staff use and installing bays on each site.

Since the partnership launched on June 21, Avara employees have made over 3,300 journeys and covered a distance of over 7,500 km.

The distance between the two Avara sites is just under one mile, and it’s a journey that many people historically have taken by car. With new Beryl bays now installed, employees have the option to choose a more environmentally friendly and convenient way to travel between the two.

Nathan Hughes, a team leader at Avara has made the most of the scheme, using the bikes 5-6 times a week.

He said: "For me any exercise outdoors is great for you in terms of your mental wellbeing, this for me is a must, and these bikes just support in adding to this.’’

"With Hereford's congestion issues, every little helps, and I think people will be surprised with how quickly you can get about on a bike in comparison to their cars in peak traffic times.’’

This partnership is one of many that Beryl is developing in their schemes around the country, as more businesses and public bodies seek to help their employees travel more sustainably and healthily.

Beryl chief executive, Philip Ellis, said: "We’re delighted to hear employees are enjoying the partnership. Beryl bikes are helping him and hundreds of others to travel to work and between sites, enjoyably and sustainably.

"Many businesses around the country are seeking to improve their sustainability, and helping employees to take more environmentally friendly journeys is a fantastic way of doing that."

Marucs Billig, Hereford site manager, said the partnership underlined the company's commitment to reducing their carbon footprint

He said: "With many colleagues living close to our sites in Hereford, this scheme has certainly highlighted how cycling can be both a healthy, and viable option for getting around.

"The uptake has been really positive and something our colleagues have embraced."