The number of cycle hires in September this year has decreased by 32% when compared to the same month in 2012, new Transport for London figures show.
In January 2013 cycle hire scheme access fees increased from £1 to £2 per day, £5 to £10 a week and £45 to £95 a year.
A TfL reportbased on data from December 2012 customer satisfaction surveys stated that there had been‘an increase in those saying that they will not renew their membership when it runs out; up to 20 per cent from eight per cent in June 2012’.
Darren Johnson AM commented:
“The steep decline in numbers using the cycle hire scheme and therefore the revenue raised from user fees poses questions over whether this heavily subsidised operation is really offering good value for money for the London taxpayer.
Given the very high capital costs of the scheme and the environmental, health and congestion-busting benefits of cycling, TfL should be encouraging the greatest possible use of the scheme by keeping user fees affordable instead of doubling them.
It may be that the drop in cycle hire usage reflects a dip in the growth of cycling more broadly across London, but the Mayor can address both problems by working with TfL to make our roads safer for cyclists and encouraging the uptake of cycling in our city, including on hire bikes.”