Santander Cycles, commonly referred to as ‘Boris Bikes’ after Boris Johnson who was the Mayor of London when the bike scheme was introduced, are growing in popularity. In 2017, record numbers of people used Boris Bikes to get around London, with more than 10.3 million journeys being made. Since its launch in 2010, Boris Bikes have facilitated over 67 million journeys throughout the capital city.
A hot summer of cycling
If you were in England this summer, you’ll know it was the hottest summer on record, marginally beating the temperatures recorded in the summer of 1976. It stayed that way pretty much for the months of June and July.
As the majority of London’s public transport doesn’t have air conditioning, this made for a lot of hot and sweaty trains and buses. According to TfL, this trend of warm weather led to record-breaking numbers of people using Boris Bikes.
July 2018 was the scheme’s most successful month in its eight-year history, with over 1.2 million people hiring the bicycles to get around. Whether it was to ride around London taking in the sites under a shining summer sun, or simply to avoid the hotter methods of traditional public transport, the recent warm weather definitely caused a spike in the number of people using Boris Bikes.
Investing in the future of transport
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said of the bikes that he’s ‘delighted that record numbers of Londoners are using our world-famous Santander Cycles to travel around the capital. Cycling helps to improve our health, air quality and congestion, and that’s why I’m investing record amounts to make it even safer and easier for all Londoners to take to two wheels.‘
The mayor’s record investment in the scheme hopes to deliver an infrastructure that connects people all across the city, encouraging more Londoners to use the bikes to get around quickly, safely and easily. As riding a bike is great for your health and poses no threat to the environment, Boris Bikes could provide a sustainable solution for reducing the amount of congestion and subsequent pollution in London, whilst also improving peoples’ overall health and wellbeing.
How does the scheme work?
Boris Bikes are so easy to use – and the first half an hour is free! With 11,000 bicycles, there will almost always be a bike waiting for you in any of the 70 docking stations across London. It only costs £2 to use a Boris Bike for 24 hours, with a surplus £2 charge for every additional 30 minutes if you’re using the bike for a longer journey. The bikes can be paid for using your card at the docking station, or even easier, by using the official Santander Cycles app, which sends a release code straight to your phone, allowing you to skip past the terminal and get cycling straight away!
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