Peddle power or piffle? Boris’s bike hire scheme get mixed first day reactions
TfL's bold idea to get the capital peddling came a step closer today, as many Londoners got their first glimpse of the new cycle hire scheme...
Despite the July 30th launch date now being just days away, most of the new network’s navy blue ‘docking stations’ still stand empty awaiting installation of some 6000 specially commissioned bikes.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson is hoping the scheme will become a popular green alternative to the city’s clogged bus and underground routes, with the added bonus of giving larger commuters the chance to shed some calories on route to the office.
And just a stone's throw from the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, today saw a small, but interested, crowd gathering around one of the first ranks to be stocked up with its own set of gleaming new bicycles.
“I can’t wait to get on and try them out,” one girl was overheard saying as she scanned through the multitude of instructions on the touch-screen control point.
“Sounds like a bit of rip-off to me though,” muttered another man, after locating the somewhat top-heavy price list around the opposite side.
Prices start of attractively, with the first 30 minutes being absolutely free (after paying a mandatory £1 access fee) and then rising to just £1 for the first full hour.
Short journeys are obviously the emphasis, however, with a high turnaround rate being encouraged by much steeper charges for 90 minutes or more.
“It’s amazing how far your bike can take you in 30 minutes if you put in a bit of pedal power,” Boris Johnson proclaimed back in February when the tariffs were originally unveiled.
And cyclists will have to be careful not to damage or lose their loaned wheels, with an automatic £300 fine being docked from their credit card for any non-returned machines, apparently regardless of who was to blame.
Instructions at the point of hire vary from the useful to the patronising, with customers being advised to ‘consider’ wearing a helmet and being asked politely not to use the bikes ‘under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’ Pissheads beware!
One potential flaw could be if you end up arriving at a popular stop with just seconds to spare and there are no spaces free to return your bike.
The screen helpfully provides a list of nearby alternative destinations – complete with real-time info on their vacant status – but does not show tourists or those unfamiliar with the area exactly where to need to head.
Ultimately, only time will tell whether Boris’ brainchild will be deemed a success, but on first glance most people seem at least prepared to give it a push-start.
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| Pedal power: Mayor of London Boris Johnson sets cyclists an example to follow |
Mayor of London Boris Johnson is hoping the scheme will become a popular green alternative to the city’s clogged bus and underground routes, with the added bonus of giving larger commuters the chance to shed some calories on route to the office.
And just a stone's throw from the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, today saw a small, but interested, crowd gathering around one of the first ranks to be stocked up with its own set of gleaming new bicycles.
“I can’t wait to get on and try them out,” one girl was overheard saying as she scanned through the multitude of instructions on the touch-screen control point.
“Sounds like a bit of rip-off to me though,” muttered another man, after locating the somewhat top-heavy price list around the opposite side.
Prices start of attractively, with the first 30 minutes being absolutely free (after paying a mandatory £1 access fee) and then rising to just £1 for the first full hour.
Short journeys are obviously the emphasis, however, with a high turnaround rate being encouraged by much steeper charges for 90 minutes or more.
“It’s amazing how far your bike can take you in 30 minutes if you put in a bit of pedal power,” Boris Johnson proclaimed back in February when the tariffs were originally unveiled.
And cyclists will have to be careful not to damage or lose their loaned wheels, with an automatic £300 fine being docked from their credit card for any non-returned machines, apparently regardless of who was to blame.
Instructions at the point of hire vary from the useful to the patronising, with customers being advised to ‘consider’ wearing a helmet and being asked politely not to use the bikes ‘under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’ Pissheads beware!
One potential flaw could be if you end up arriving at a popular stop with just seconds to spare and there are no spaces free to return your bike.
The screen helpfully provides a list of nearby alternative destinations – complete with real-time info on their vacant status – but does not show tourists or those unfamiliar with the area exactly where to need to head.
Ultimately, only time will tell whether Boris’ brainchild will be deemed a success, but on first glance most people seem at least prepared to give it a push-start.
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