London cycle hire locations revealed

London mayor, Boris Johnson has unveiled the location of 400 docking stations that will service the capital’s forthcoming cycle hire scheme.

The docking stations will be situated around 300m apart in order to allow people to pick up and drop off bikes around central London.

Of the progress being made, the mayor said: “I pledged to deliver a cycling revolution across the city, and there is now a growing excitement about our cycle hire scheme, which will give all Londoners the opportunity to hop on a bike and experience the joys of cycling.”

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “We wish this scheme every success, but it seems a shame that it appears there will be no docking stations at railway stations or in the Royal Parks.”

The cycle hire project is part of a £111m budget being invested by Boris Johnson on cycling facilities around London.

Vélib: a success story

The London cycle hire proposal is based on the Vélib scheme in Paris, the success of which has been marred only by a spate of vandalism and theft.

Of the 20,000 bicycles that were introduced to the city’s streets in July 2007, 7,800 have vanished – a rate of over 100 bikes each week. An additional 11,000 have been vandalised.

Vélib, the term is a contraction of the French words for bicycle and freedom, remains popular with the city’s inhabitants and tourists – in its first year of operation it made over £10 million.

There are 1,450 docking stations, each of which is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and spaces for bicycles. Users subscribe to the service and pay an hourly rate for rental, but the first 30 minutes is always free.

The history of mass cycle hire schemes

A history of cycle hire schemes	…the highs and the lows
The “White Bikes” project	in the 1960s free bikes were offered in Amsterdam, many of which ended their life in the canals
Copenhagen	a not-for profit foundation has operated a free-to-use bike hire scheme seasonally since 1995
Bikeabout	Started in 1996 at Portsmouth university, this was the first electronically managed cycle hire scheme
Velib	The Paris scheme is popular but has suffered its own share of problem, including ‘Velib extreme’ – stunt riding that takes its toll on the bicycles

Do cyclists need insurance?

The short answer is yes. Bikes are vulnerable to theft and in the case of an accident cyclists may need to seek compensation or even deal with a claim by someone else. Cycle insurance from the ETA includes new-for-old replacement, third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, they will even come out and recover you and your bike. More info