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Sustainable transport charity Sustrans has welcomed the arrival of Barclays Cycle Hire in London, but warned the scheme isn’t based in the areas where the potential to increase cycling is at it’s highest.
Outer London areas have the potential to see a 70 per cent rise in cycling, but won’t stand to benefit from the central London-based scheme, according to the charity.
"The London Cycle Hire scheme is a positive move for helping to mainstream cycling and raise its profile," commented Carl Pittam, Sustrans’ Director in London. "But the scheme is only active in central London at present, despite Transport for London analysis highlighting that 70 per cent of the potential for cycling is in the outer London Boroughs.
"Sustrans would like to see more such schemes catering for journeys outside central London and more emphasis –
and funding – going to support initiatives to encourage children, young people and women to take to two wheels."
The Hire initiative launched last Friday (July 30th) with 15,000 journeys made on hire bikes by Sunday afternoon. The scheme will open to casual users in just over three weeks.
