Boris kick-starts plan to get Londoners on their bikes

Tfl wants bike-hire scheme on the road by May next year

London commuters will be able to hire bikes for short journeys from as early as May next year, in a move that mayor Boris Johnson says will help make the capital a greener and "more livable city".

Transport for London (TfL) announced yesterday that it has launched the planning application process for 400 cycle-docking stations across central London, from which people will be able to quickly hire one of 6,000 bikes.

The first four planning applications have already been submitted to Camden Council, and TfL said that the rest would be submitted through the spring and summer with the aim of the scheme being operational by May 2011.

The 400 cycle stations will each be around 300m apart, meaning that any commuter in central London will never be more than a short walk away from a bike.

TfL said that the scheme, which is modelled on the popular Velib cycle hire scheme in Paris, should help reduce congestion at "hotspots" on the tube and bus network and result in 40,000 extra cycle trips being taken in the capital each day.

Mayor Boris Johnson, a self-confessed cycling fan, said that the scheme, which forms part of a £111m investment programme designed to make it easier for people to cycle in the capital, would encourage more people to use bikes.

"There is now a growing excitement about our cycle-hire scheme, which will give all Londoners the opportunity to hop on a bike and experience the joys of cycling," he said.

"Much like hailing a cab, people will be able to pick up one of 6,000 bikes, and zip around town to their hearts content - not only a quick, easy, and healthy option, but one that will also make London a more liveable city."

A spokeswoman for TfL said that pricing levels and operational details will be available once the company operating the scheme is announced in June.