The Santander Cycles scheme in London has achieved record ridership in 2022 with 11.5 million hires.
There were 565,625 more hires than in the previous year, which is a 5.1% increase.
“The record number of hires reflects the wider boom in cycling seen across London in recent years,” a Transport for London spokesperson told Zag Daily. “We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the scheme continues to offer a great service for all its customers, with bikes available for people whenever they need them.”
The scheme recorded 11 consecutive record-breaking months of usage from September 2021 to July 2022.
The introduction of 500 docked e-bikes last October has also added to the scheme’s popularity. Until the end of 2022, 129,232 e-bike hires were made.
Waterloo Station was the most popular docking station last year with 131,005 hires.
A new funding agreement with the Government has secured £80m per year to be invested in walking and cycling schemes, with a further £69m per year allocated to boroughs.
Active Travel England is also investing £32.9 million to create a national network of active travel experts to work with communities, enhance high streets and boost walking and cycling.
London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said the pandemic’s boom in walking and cycling is here to stay.
“2022 saw the introduction of fantastic new e-bikes with more Londoners than ever using sustainable ways to get around the capital. The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous London for everyone – Santander Cycles plays a hugely important role in making active travel around the city as accessible as possible.”
