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The final preparations are taking place for the imminent launch of London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme.
Thousands of cycles and hundreds of docking points are currently being assembled, tested, branded and electronically programmed in a North London warehouse.
“We are bringing an entirely new form of public transport to the Capital and today I’ve been able to see a glimpse of the incredible scale of the operation," said Kulveer Ranger, Transport Advisor to the Mayor.
"We do not expect all 6,000 cycles to be in place on day one and like any new scheme it will take a little time for it to become part of London life but we are confident that soon thousands of Londoners will see and ride on the cycle hire bikes every day.”
Mick Hickford, head of special projects, TfL, added: “We’ve looked at hire schemes from across the world, learning from their experiences and adding our own unique ideas to design a scheme for London. This scheme incorporates innovative technology that needs careful programming and testing before it can be installed into London’s streets.
"We know that it will take time for the scheme to bed in and with any new piece of technology there is likely to be a ‘settling in’ period. We’ll be closely monitoring it to iron out any issues as they happen.”
