Pedal your way to a free smoothie at Rochdale Bus Station

Passengers at Rochdale Bus Station will be able to pedal their way to a free fruit smoothie tomorrow – or give their mobile phone a quick charge.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is bringing the ‘Smoothie’ bike – which generates electricity as you pedal – to the busy station.

It’s a part of a tour that takes in some of Greater Manchester’s green transport highlights and aims to raise awareness of transport leaders’ commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Thanks to funding from ‘Ticket to Kyoto’ – a European environmental programme – the new Rochdale Interchange will be the first in Europe to run on hydroelectricity when it opens later this year.

The Interchange will feature in the public campaign “Transport for Greater Manchester is saving its energy for you”. Posters across the region will showcase the interchange’s innovative water-turbine with the message: “That’s why we’re using the River Roch to power our new interchange in Rochdale”.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “The bikes are a fun way to help people make a direct link between how much energy it takes to make something – whether it’s a smoothie or a recharged mobile phone.

“On a more important note, we want people to know that we’re doing our best to cut down carbon emissions from transport in Greater Manchester.

“Metrolink is the first UK tram system to run on green energy – and we’re on our way to have 280 green hybrid buses on the road – more than anywhere in the UK outside London.

“Anyone can have a go on the smoothie-bike – you can pedal as fast or as slow as you like. It only takes a few minutes to make a smoothie but you might be pedalling a bit longer to fully charge your phone!”

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is bringing the ‘Smoothie’ bike – which generates electricity as you pedal – to the busy station from 4-6.30pm on Wednesday 19 June.