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London’s cycle-hire scheme: What’s the deal?
photo by Steve Cadman (stevecadman on Flickr Creative Commons)
On Friday London begins its well-publicized bicycle rental scheme, introduced by mayor Boris Johnson, run by London Transport and sponsored by Barclays plc.
Over the past few years London has become more cycle-friendly with more bike lanes and cycle paths, reducing stress on public and private transport – which have both become more costly, thereby encouraging more people to travel by bike.
But despite recent growth in cycle traffic, London still trails other British cities and lags astronomically behind the European bicycle Meccas of Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
Enter Barclays Cycle Hire, which resembles bike rental schemes in other European and world cities, some of which are even free.
From a BBC News report:
The scheme, which begins on Friday, will make 6,000 bikes available from 400 locations across central London.
So far around 3,000 Londoners have registered, with expenses including a ₤3 key for activation and rates ranging from ₤1 for a day to ₤45 (€54) for annual membership. On top of membership fees are rates starting at a free first half hour, ₤1 for up to an hour, ₤4 for up to 1.5 hours, climbing all the way up to ₤50 for 24 hours.
I’m having visions of people picking up a cycle for a quick ride, getting sidetracked in the pub and suddenly owing a fortune to London Transport.
I guess convenience is the name of the game and responsible (non-drunk) shrewd users should benefit and take advantage of the scheme, but as one critical article points out, for people who are willing cycle even semi-regularly, it’s better to just buy a used bike:
It works in the same way that budget airlines make their money. Play the game well, and you can really benefit. After all, a good second-hand bike will probably put you back somewhere in the region of £100 – which with the cycle hire scheme, works out at a month and a half of cycling for an hour a day.
–Moneywise.co.uk
Of course, maybe the scheme will encourage people to do just that and give tourists and occasional cyclists a good, green option when they fancy – or need – it.
Barclays Cycle Hire is also a conspicuous example of the corporatization and commercialization of public space in London and the rest of the UK, which has become more and more prominent since the reign of Margaret Thatcher – and has apparently never looked back.
For more on this line, check out the following piece in the Guardian, which does not necessarily criticize the cycle hire scheme, but rather how one aspect of it represents the sometimes-insidious transfer of public space into private hands:
Boris Johnson’s London Cycle Hire scheme flogs our birthright to Barclays
Graham Land
Tags: Barclays, bicycle, bike, Boris, cycle, cyclists, European, hire, Johnson, london, private, public, rental, scheme, UK
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