London bike sharing scheme could be expanded

The reduction in car use and public transport during lockdown has encouraged councils to consider reallocation of road space to cycling, walking and other uses

Transport for London has set out plans to expand the Santander Cycles scheme to keep up with unprecedented demand.

Data shows that cycling in the capital increased significantly during lockdown, with thousands of Londoners using bikes more often for both leisure and essential travel.

May 2020 was the best May in London’s cycle hire scheme’s 10-year history, with 1,120,620 hires.

It also saw the highest ever number of hires in a single week - with 362,925 hires made between May 25 and 31 - and the highest ever number of hires in a weekend, with 132,979 hires made on May 30-31.

The free Santander Cycles hire scheme for NHS staff has also fuelled demand, with 30,000 free journeys made since the offer was made available in March.

Read Beate Kubitz's full article in Smart Transport Journal