Barclays Cycle Hire

Mayor Boris Johnson's much talked about bike hire scheme finally launches on 30 July 2010 with 6,000 bicycles being made available to the public across 400 docking stations in central London. Sponsored by Barclays - who pumped ?25 million into a scheme which will cost Transport for London and estimated ?140m over six years - the public bike sharing plan mirrors that of the Velib in Paris and is based on Montreal's Bixi bicycle renting system. The project will initially cover about 17 square miles in central London, stretching to the whole of the City of London and parts of eight London boroughs. Customers will pay an access fee and then an additional fee according to how long they use the bike (up to 30 minutes is free but then fees increase exponentially from ?1 for an hour to ?50 for 24 hours). The scheme is open for anyone over the age of 14 and customers will be able to pick up or drop off their bikes at any station they fancy. Despite warning Londoners of inevitable teething troubles, Boris has described the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme as using the "Rolls-Royce of bicycles". To us, however, the bikes look pretty simple, while mimicking (intentionally?) the turquoise and black colours of the British professional cycling outfit Team Sky. Safety worries are bound to grab all the headlines but this cycle scheme could well prove to be a welcome addition to London's transport system, especially if City Hall deliver on the 12 "cycle super highways" promised by Boris.

A series of roadshows will be taking place throughout the summer to explain the scene to Londonders. To find out more about these sessions click here. For more information about the whole scheme go to the www.tfl.gov.uk.

Access fee:
24hr - ?1
Seven-day - ?5
Annual - ?45 (members only)

Usage charges:
Up to 30 mins - Free
Up to 1hr - ?1
Up to 1hr 30mins - ?4
Up to 2hrs - ?6
Up to 2hrs 30mins - ?10
Up to 3hrs - ?15
Up to 6hrs - ?35
Up to 24hrs (maximum) - ?50

Other charges:
Late return charge - ?150
Damage charge - up to ?300
Non-return charge - ?300