Londoners do not feel safe on hire bikes
In July 2010 London has launched a bike hire scheme with the goal of 50,000 journeys per day. Barclay’s Cycle Superhighways ran 2 successful pilots in which it was suggested that residents were prepared to consider cycling to work or for leisure, as long as it's made safe and easy for them.
The aim of the Cycle Superhighways is to:
- Improve cycling conditions for people who already commute by bike;
- Encourage those who don't to take to pedal power and keep fit;
- Help cut congestion;
- Relieve overcrowding on public transport;
- Reduce emissions.
Safety first for bike users
Surveys carried out during the first 6 months of the scheme have indicated peak usage climbing to around 26,000 trips. In other words, less than the original goal. One if the reasons given for the relatively small amount of bike users in London is safety. “There's never been a shortage of bikes in London,” Professor Stephen Glaister of Imperial College, London told The Economist. “It’s just that people are afraid to use them.” The significant level of surplus capacity available within the system appears to back up Professor Glaister's suggestion, with The Economist proposing that bike paths like those found in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, which separate cyclists from other traffic, may be needed before the majority of Londoners will be convinced to use the bikes. Under the 3700 users who participated in the survey it has also been found that the majority of bike users are white, well paid, male and between 24 – 44 years of age.
After-rail users experience a shortage of cycles
100.000 subscriptions have been issued of which 80.000 have gone to Londoners living in the city who use the bike to travel from the train/metro station to their house/final destination. These users are called “after-rail” users. Concerns have been raised over the distribution of bikes across the network of 315 docking stations. The Economist pointed out that after-rail users were creating a dearth of bikes at certain docking stations; an issue which had been acknowledged in a 2008 feasibility study.
Summer and non-members could make the difference in the numbers
With London's hire scheme still in its relative infancy,
Transport for London (TfL) told BikeRadar that they expect usage
figures to increase during the programme's first full summer of
operation in 2011. "Numbers are naturally higher during
summer. The colder, darker months are always going to reduce the
volume of users," said TfL senior press officer Jenna Oxley.
On the 3d of December 2010 London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme has
been opened to non-members. TfL expects that numbers will be
boosted in 2011 as anyone with a credit card will be able to go to
their nearest docking station and borrow a bike.