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Boris's bike hire scheme looks wobbly amid funding fears
Katharine Barney19.03.09
Concerns have been raised over Boris Johnson's cycle hire scheme after it was revealed operators who run similar projects are unlikely to bid for the contract.
The Mayor has promised to introduce 6,000 public hire bikes across Zone 1 by 2010, in a scheme similar to the vélib system in Paris.
However, Mr Johnson is being accused of failing to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians, while doing more for motorists.
City Hall sources say they are concerned the firm running the scheme in France will not bid for the London one. JCDecaux said it could no longer afford the project in Paris after more than half the bicycles were stolen.
The French scheme is funded through advertising revenue from publicly-owned billboards and rental fees for the bicycles.
Bosses at Clear Channel, which operates a similar scheme in Barcelona, have said they do not think the London vélib will work as it will rely solely on money from rental fees.
Clear Channel chief executive Barry Sayer said: "I've never seen a scheme that has paid enough to justify [not having advertising]. London will be structurally challenging. The other interesting question will be the streets, we need more bike tracks."
Critics highlight changes introduced by the Mayor which have cut costs for drivers. These include scrapping a planned £25 congestion charge for larger cars and suspending the third stage of the low-emissions zone.
One of his most significant moves has been scrapping the western extension of the congestion charge zone.
He has allowed motorcyclists in bus lanes, but the London Cycling Campaign says this is dangerous. He has also pledged bicycle superhighways.
Labour's transport spokeswoman, Val Shawcross, said: "Boris's first year at City Hall has been a massive let-down for anyone who walks or cycles. He's been busy making London a more motorist-friendly, less safe and heavier-polluting city."
Jenny Jones, Green leader on the London Assembly and a cyclist, said: "He is struggling to deliver the big ideas on cycle hire and superhighways. Motorists are the only unambiguous winners."
The Mayor's office insists vélib "remains on course to be launched next May". A spokesman said: "There has been a great deal of interest from operators. It would be nonsense to suggest there is any doubt.
"Unlike in Paris, lack of advertising space on our streets always meant it was very unlikely there would be great interest from companies specialising in street advertising."
They added: "Any claim that the Mayor has placed an emphasis on the interests of motorists over cyclists cannot be taken seriously.
"The record level of investment in cycling this year will be exceeded by a whopping £111.3million in 2009/10.
"The Mayor remains intent on creating a cyclists' paradise where it is as common to see Londoners on two wheels as four."
We test the main crossings
Parliament Square, north side:
Green man phase: 5 seconds
Time it took to cross: 4 seconds
Trafalgar Square, junction with Charing Cross Road and Strand:
Green man phase: 6 seconds
Time across: 5 seconds
Knightsbridge and Brompton Road:
Green man phase: 8 seconds
Time across: 6 seconds
Regent St, junction with Oxford St:
Green man phase: 10 seconds
Time across: 4 seconds
Kensington High Street, junction with Kensington Church Street:
Green man phase: 10 seconds
Time across: 8 seconds
High Holborn and Southampton Row:
Green man phase: 18 seconds
Time across: 8 seconds
Junction of St Martin's Lane and Long Acre, in Covent Garden:
Green man phase: 20 seconds
Time across: 7 seconds
Euston Rd, junction with Gordon St:
Green man phase: 28 seconds
Time across: 8 seconds
Piccadilly Circus, cross between Eros and Regent Street:
Green man phase: 30 seconds
Time to cross: 6 seconds
Reader views (11)
What a surprise from Boris, more and more false promises broken!!
- Joe, Brighton, UK
I see today that the Fire Service has spent 300k moving obese people, expect to see that rise!!
Also agree with others re:Motorists. Boris seems to be making it cheaper/easier to drive everywhere at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. Won't the city grind to a halt with congestion?? Where will everyone park??
Its just not possible for mass car ownership & use in a large densely populated city like London.
- Cyclist, London
"Good, glad it's looking wobbly. I hate cyclists."
Why do you hate cyclists?
How should I get to work then, I normally cycle, but if you hate me then maybe I'll try some other way, how about driving my car to work?
If all cyclists drove their cars to work then we'd know congestion like never before.
- Prj45, London
Good, glad it's looking wobbly. I hate cyclists.
- D Woodstock, London
Just get rid of the nuisence cyclists !!!!!!! they are dangerous, arrogant, rude, irritating, law-flouting, smug (some plug ugly too !). Road are for cars ! Long live the private car !
- Br, london
Any scheme that makes Boris cycle ob the road and not the pavements has got to be a good one
- Keith Price, Luton, England
"Owning and driving your own car is a sign of success in life and should be promoted over public transport which Red Ken and this NuLab government are so fond of.
Good, let's close the tube, scrap the buses and can I demolish your house to put a motorway through, then? We'll need a lot of new roads, won't we?
Sometimes selfish people don't actually think these things through - cars and civilised cities don't mix, and there are better alternatives.
- Tom, London, UK
Owning and driving your own car is a sign of success in life and should be promoted over public transport which Red Ken and this NuLab government are so fond of.
- Kimberley, London
Public bike rental looks good on paper but does not work in reality. They tried it even in Amsterdam in the 1960's by having free white bikes. Even these got stolen en broken up for parts.The Paris experiment is also a disaster. One also get lots of untrained bike riders and the ensuing problems/accidents/deaths. Drop the idea.
- Adrian, London UK
Boris has just been undoing some of the damage done by Ken and the GLA over 8 years, in which it has been policy to deliberately discriminate against motorists.
He is right to listen to the majority who want the western extension scrapped; if Ken had listened then we would not have wasted all that money and he might still be Mayor.
- Brian, London
I agree with comments in the article. Boris's cycling credentials were nothing more than a publicity stunt to get him into power. Since taking residence at City Hall he has gone hell for leather in helping London motorists.
- Mcw, London
