Recent Cycle Hire usage figures are dismal

Commenting in the Evening Standard on figures showing that Cycle Hire usage is down for the fourth consecutive month - and 30% down compared to a year ago - Caroline Pidgeon said:

“A combination of poor performance in the running of the wcycle hire scheme and a hike in the membership fee for using the bikes has obviously turned many people away. I expect the recent cycle fatalities have also contributed to the fall in people who wish to hire bikes.

“The long-term success of cycle hire relies on the scheme’s sponsor contributing far more and for action to sort out the redistribution of bikes across the docking stations. Ensuring London’s roads are far safer is the final ingredient for turning around the recent dismal usage figures.”

A spokesman for the Mayor said: “2013 has seen a drop in usage of the Barclays cycle hire scheme compared to the record Olympic and Jubilee year of 2012”, but added: “Contrary to claims cycling is falling in the wake of recent tragic deaths, we have seen no evidence of this from hire figures for November. The year-on-year fall in that month was less than for September.”

Read more in the Evening Standard.