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London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme has opened for use to all, without registering for membership.
From 10am on 3rd December anyone with a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card or Visa Electron will be able to go to one of the 352 docking stations across central London and follow on screen instructions at the terminal to release a Barclays Cycle Hire bike.
The bikes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once the customer has purchased their access period (for either 24 hours or seven days) the first 30 minutes of any journey will be free of usage charges.
Barclays Cycle Hire has already transformed the way Londoners travel around central London, says TfL. The scheme currently has over 108,000 members who’ve nearly made two million journeys. Around 20,000 journeys are being made on the Boris Bike during week days and this number is expected to go up by several thousand with the introduction of turn-up users.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “Our Barclays Cycle Hire bikes have already become a defining part of the London street scene. Now those who have only watched enviously from the sidelines can join the cycle revolution at the swipe of a card."
Becoming a Barclays Cycle Hire member remains the fastest way to access a bike with no queuing at the on street terminals. UK residents can start using the cycle hire scheme as a member for £4 – the cost of buying the membership key (£3) and their first 24 hour access period (£1).
