The 95,000 members of the Barclays cycle hire scheme in London have notched up an incredible one million journeys in the ten weeks since its launch.
Dubbed ‘Boris Bikes’ by its fans, the scheme stretches from Notting Hill Gate to Wapping, and from Regents Park to Borough Market.
So successful is the scheme that it is already turning an operating profit, something that cannot be said of the bus and tube services in the city.
There are currently 340 bike hire docking stations across central London with a little over 8,000 spaces. The aim is to have 400 stations by March next year, with no more than 300m between them.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “This excellent scheme has been welcomed as warmly by Londoners as the Parisians who use the Velib, which at 20,000 bikes is still growing.”
At present users of the hire bikes need to pre-register, but a ‘turn-up-and-ride’ option will be launched in the coming months.
How much does it cost to use the Boris Bikes?
In order to use the scheme you need to pay £3 for a key, which needs to be activated before it will release a bike. Thereafter the following fees apply:
| Membership fee | |
|---|---|
| Daily rate | £1 |
| Weekly rate | £5 |
| Annual rate | £45 |
| Hire charges | increases the longer you keep the bike |
|---|---|
| Less than 30 minutes | no charge |
| Less than 60 minutes | £1 |
| Less than 90 minutes | £4 |
| Less than 120 minutes | £6 |
| Less than 150 minutes | £10 |
| Less than 180 minutes | £15 |
| Less than 6 hours | £35 |
| Less than 24 hours | £50 |
To sign up for daily, weekly or annual memberships visit www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire
What are the London cycle hire bikes like to ride?
The Barclays Bikes will be ridden off and into kerbs, dropped, scraped and generally made to work hard for a living, but a test ride suggests the bikes are up to the job.
Whilst not the lightest of machines, the bikes feel sure-footed on the road – a quality that will reassure novice riders. The gears are easy to operate and the bike’s lights are on permanently. Verdict: Well-designed, easy to ride and tough
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 |
Cycle insurance
Cycle insurance from the ETA includes new-for-old, cover for accidental damage, £1m third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, we will even come out and recover you and your bike. Get an instant online quote below.
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