The BBC reports on the Mayor's responses to questioning from Caroline Pidgeon AM, the London Assembly Lib Dem leader, revealing the impact of glitches in the launch of the cycle hire scheme.
Question: Has any money been returned to Barclays since the start of the scheme for any reason?
Answer from the Mayor: The Barclays Cycle Hire sponsor agreement does incorporate measures to reflect the success of the scheme. The precise details however are commercially sensitive.
Question: How many complaints has TfL received about the scheme and what general areas have been raised as concerns since it went live?Answer from the Mayor: As of 7 September 2010, TfL have received a total of 1,431 complaints regarding the scheme.
Key areas of concern include confusion over the billing for access periods - particularly when a member has multiple keys, the location and availability of docking stations, and enquiries over how to successfully return a cycle to the docking point.
Question: How many reports of faulty cycles have there been since the start of the scheme, broken down by fault?Answer from the Mayor: At present, Serco's reporting system does not report exact information regarding the nature of faults but are expecting to be able to provide this information in the future.
As of 7 September 2010, a total of 2,774 repairs have been carried out by Serco with the majority of these being minor repairs and adjustment on-site without the need to take the cycle out of service.