It’s been a month of good news for UK cycle schemes. The Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme has announced that more than 90,000 people have now signed up to the London scheme, proving critics wrong. This milestone has been hit in just 10 weeks. London Mayor Boris Johnson in particular is thrilled that the idea has taken off: “The zest in which people have taken to two wheels and joined the cycling revolution we are engendering in the capital has gladdened my heart.”
Following this success, the scheme is expanding, with the first docking station at a London terminal announced. London Waterloo will get its own docking station in mid-December, housing 124 bikes. It’s the first of many, with 50 new docking stations planned throughout the capital.
It’s not just Londoners that are enjoying a cycle scheme, though. The Oy Bike Scheme in Cardiff has been extended for another year, after Welsh Assembly Government funding was confirmed.
At the moment there are 17 bike stations across Cardiff, charging around £5 a day, or less if the user has a membership. The scheme has been so successful that they’ve released an iPhone app to help users find their nearest station.
Bernie Hanning, managing director of the Oy Bike Scheme, said: “”We are really pleased with the many positive responses we have received from Oy Bike users in Cardiff and are keen to make this scheme a trail blazer for sustainable travel in Wales and the UK.”
Hopefully we’ll see biking schemes adopted by towns across the UK, not simply the capitals. It’s hugely encouraging to see so many people adopting this green method of travel.
Image: [Paul Robertson]
