London to add e-bikes to shared cycle scheme

Transport for London (TfL) will add 500 e-bikes to its cycle-hire programme as part of a revamp of the Santander Cycles scheme.

The e-bikes – which have a power assist motor that can reach 15.5mph – will be introduced from 12 September, and can be docked at any of the 800 stations across central London.

When the battery falls to 20 percent, maintenance staff receive an alert and the e-bikes cannot be released from their docking station until a fully charged replacement battery is installed.

“The new bikes, alongside our simpler new tariff, will ensure that the scheme can build on this success and be financially sustainable, playing a full role in a green and healthy future for London,” said David Eddington, TfL’s Head of Cycle Hire.

Price changes

The e-bikes will cost £3.30 (US$3.98) for 30 mins – double the new £1.65 rate for a regular bike, which now matches the price of a bus fare.

Currently, a conventional bike hired through the scheme costs £2 for unlimited journeys of up to 30 minutes within a 24-hour period.

For journeys longer than half an hour, the cyclist pays £2 for each additional 30 minutes.

The cost of annual membership of the scheme will increase by a third, from £90 to £120, and a new £20 monthly pass is being introduced.

Monthly or annual members will not pay for rides up to 60 minutes – double the current 30-minute limit – but will be charged a £1 “top-up” for each e-bike trip.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the new e-bikes will allow more people to access cycling.

“I’m determined to continue building a cleaner, greener London for everyone and this includes making cycling as accessible as possible,” he commented.

“The new Santander Cycles e-bikes will play an important role in helping to break down some of the barriers that stop people from getting on a bike, including fitness, age and length of journey.”

The scheme – which was first introduced in 2010 – experienced a record-breaking year in 2021 when over one million individual customers used the bikes.

Over 178,000 new members joined the scheme in 2021, a seven percent increase on 2020 and more than double that of any previous year.

Several private firms operate dockless e-bike schemes in the UK capital, including Lime, Dott and Human Forest.

Dockless bikes

While a number of London’s boroughs allow dockless e-bikes to operate within their boundaries, others do not.

Last week Westminster City Council started removing e-bikes from its streets, claiming they create a dangerous “obstacle course” for pedestrians.

The council is looking at options to charge operators the cost of removing the bikes, with any money raised set to be reinvested in cycling infrastructure.

“Trying to walk down some of our streets has become like attempting an obstacle course and we are fed up finding these bikes dumped across the city,” said Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality.

“Anyone in town this summer will see these cycles abandoned. It’s a nuisance and potentially dangerous, especially for those with disabilities.

“We’ve contacted the major dockless bike operators and made it clear that if they don’t remove their bikes from the pavement, the council will – and we’ll charge them for doing so.”

Image: tom page (Flickr)