New bike maintenance station installed in town centre

A NEW public bike maintenance station has been installed next to the Town Hall in a bid to encourage residents to swap four-wheels for two.

The new station equips people with the tools needed to fix, tune and repair the most common mechanical problems with their bikes – it can also be used on pushchairs and wheelchairs.

A second station will soon be installed outside the pavilion in King George V playing field alongside a new bike rack that will accommodate up to five bikes. 

It is hoped that the initiative, led by the town council, will encourage more people to use ‘green transport’ and bring more ‘cycling tourists’ to the town, boosting the local economy. 

The idea for the bike maintenance stations was suggested by a member of the public to cllr Carl Houghton, who proposed the idea to the town council. 

He said, “It’s fantastic to see this idea come to fruition and see people using it already! And it’s great that it is multi-purpose and can be used by wheelchair users and families with buggies and pushchairs. 

“And hopefully this will encourage people to cycle through our town to make use of this facility and visit some of our shops and cafés.” 

Cllr Jon Hubbard – who had brought his bike along to test out the new station – said, “This is a top of the range model funded by the town council and the Melksham Area Board. If we are going to be an active community, we’ve got to make it easier for people to use their bikes.” 

The maintenance station has an air pump, screwdriver, torx key set, hex key set, flat spanner, adjustable spanner, and tyre levers.