| Revision as of 11:20, 11 August 2010 editMighty Antar (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users5,166 edits Expand with citation← Previous edit | Revision as of 11:25, 11 August 2010 edit undoBeeshoney (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers1,536 edits This article is no longer a stubNext edit → | ||
| Line 69: | Line 69: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| {{transport-stub}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 11:25, 11 August 2010
Barclays Cycle Hire is a public bicycle sharing scheme that was launched on 30 July 2010 in London, UK. At launch there were 315 bicycle docking stations and 5,000 bicycles available in central London, with 400 docking stations and 6,000 bicycles being available at the end of summer 2010.
The project initially covered about 17 square miles (44 square kilometres) of central London (covering the whole of the City of London and parts of eight London boroughs) and will cost an estimated £140 million over six years, although it is expected to pay for itself over time. Barclays' contribution is £25 million.
The bicycles and the docking stations are built in Canada and are based on Bixi, Montreal's bicycle rental system.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who inherited the scheme from his predecessor Ken Livingstone said that he "hoped the bikes would become as common as black cabs and red buses in the capital".
Usage costs
Users of the scheme must pay both an access fee and usage charges.
Access fee
| Period | Cost |
|---|---|
| 24-hour access | £1 |
| Seven-day access | £5 |
| Annual access | £45 |
Usage charges
Usage charges are designed to promote the constant circulation of bicycles. As a result, whilst the first 30 minutes are free, costs rise sharply thereafter.
| Period | Cost |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 minutes | Free |
| Up to 1 hour | £1 |
| Up to 1 hour and 30 minutes | £4 |
| Up to 2 hours | £6 |
| Up to 2 hours and 30 minutes | £10 |
| Up to 3 hours | £15 |
| Up to 6 hours | £35 |
| Up to 24 hours (maximum usage fee) | £50 |
Other charges
- Late return charge: £150
- Damage charge: up to £300
- Non-return charge: £300
Limitations
Once you drop off a bike at a Docking station, you must wait approx 5 minutes before you are able to take a new bike, even if you travel to a different Docking station. This makes it time consuming to stop and pop into a shop or building. Other similar schemes, like Velib in Paris, do not have this restriction, and also come with a separate lock on them, enabling quick stops away from a Docking station.
Notes and references
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10810869
- "London Cycle Hire Scheme Area" (PDF).
- Quigley-Jones, Jennifer (2009-11-13). "On yer bikes". The World in 2010. The Economist. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10182833
- Taylor, Matthew (9 February 2008). "City's two-wheel transformation". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- Phone fury man kicks 'Boris bike'- John Clements - Mirror.co.uk
See also
External links
- About Barclays Cycle Hire, Transport for London
- Map of docking stations, Transport for London
