London’s Santander Cycles scheme has recorded 11 consecutive record-breaking months of usage, with more than 1.3 million hires last month.
The Transport for London (TfL) scheme has continued to break records every month from September 2021 to July 2022 achieving the highest number of hires for that month since the scheme began.
“We know that huge numbers of people have taken up cycling since the pandemic and it is fantastic to see this incredible rise in Santander cycle hire figures, with the last 11 months all being record-breaking months,” TfL’s Head of Cycle Hire David Eddington told Zag Daily.
“I’m really proud of the team that helped to deliver the scheme and we know our customers love the reliability it offers. Cycling and walking are great ways to travel around London and see all the hidden gems that the city has to offer, and we are determined to keep Londoners cycling and build on this further.”
With the popularity of the 12,000-strong fleet at an all-time high, TfL and Santander now plan to introduce 500 e-bikes from 12 September.
The new e-bikes will help break down barriers that stop people from cycling, including age, fitness and journey length.
Distributed across key central London locations, the e-bikes will be able to be docked at any of the scheme’s 800 docking stations.
TfL will also be making changes to the Santander Cycles fare tariff from 12 September so that the rate matches the London bus fare.
Customer feedback showed the current tariff structure, which charges an annual membership fee or a daily access fee of £2, plus additional charges for rides longer than 30 minutes, is complex and inflexible.
The bikes will now cost a flat rate of £1.65 per 30-minute ride. This will replace the existing daily access charge, which is £2 for unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes in a 24-hour period, with additional charges for rides over 30 minutes.
New monthly and annual memberships will also be made available.
E-bikes will initially be for registered users only, for a fare of £3.30 per 30-minute ride or an additional fare of £1 per 60 minutes for monthly and annual members.
Furthermore, TfL confirmed that a number of new docking stations are due to open in the London Borough of Southwark later this year. The new docking stations will be located at Burgess Park Albany Road, South Bermondsey station, Clements Road, Harris Academy, Brandon Street, Crimscott Street and The Blue.
