Thousands of Londoners join cycle hire scheme

Date: 3/8/2010

London's flagship cycle hire programme has attracted an additional 9,000 members since being launched on Friday (July 30th), taking its total up to over 21,000.

By 16:00 BST on Sunday, more than 14,250 journeys had been made across the capital on the blue hire bikes, with the most popular locations including Soho and Covent Garden.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "Just three days into our cycle hire scheme we're seeing Londoners embracing the freedom of pedal power and are signing up in their droves."

He added that the bikes are helping London to become the best cycling city in the world.

The scheme, which is initially comprised of 6,000 vehicles, is modelled on similar successful programmes in cities such as Montreal and Paris.

Customers must activate a £3 electronic key and pay a membership fee, which ranges between £1 for a day and £45 for a year, before they can make free half-hour journeys across the capital.

Transport for London has urged users to ensure that their bikes are properly docked at the end of each journey by waiting for the docking point light to turn green.