Boris' bike scheme goes live tomorrow

The Mayor of London’s cycle hire scheme sponsored by Barclays Bank launches tomorrow with cycles available for pre-registered members from 6am.

Mayor Boris Johnson, himself a keen cyclist, has enthusiastically fronted the schem which aims to generate up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day in central London, reducing car journeys, easing congestion on public transport and helping citizens to lead healthier life styles.

But the scheme is not cheap to use. The initial £3 joining cost grants members an electronic key and thereafter membership costs £1 for 24 hours, £5 for seven days and £45 for a year. The first 30min of any journey are free but thereafter usage charges rack up from £1 for the first hour to £50 for a maximum of 24 hours.

Even so, some 11,000 Londooners have registered, a spokesperson at the Mayor's Office told Businessgreen.com

Cycle hire docking stations have so far been located in Camden, City of London, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Westminster and several of the Royal Parks.

Members of the scheme must be at least 18 years old, and riders will need to be at least 14 years old to use the cycles. The scheme is operated by Serco on behalf of TfL