Tag Archive: london

1. Santander Cycles has launched e-bikes in London from September

   26/09/2022 13:03 Comments Off on Santander Cycles has launched e-bikes in London from September

   Source: Transport for London

   Cycle hire scheme’s offering expanded, with 500 e-bikes added from 12 September

   Transport for London (TfL) and Santander have announced that e-bikes will be introduced to London’s record-breaking Santander Cycles scheme from 12 September.     

   In July, the scheme recorded its busiest month in its history, with more than 1.3 million hires across the month. To support the scheme’s continued success and financial sustainability, TfL and Santander are introducing 500 e-bikes to its fleet, which use an electric motor to assist riders as they pedal. The bikes are being introduced as part of a programme of work to modernise the cycle hire scheme, with funding agreed for the programme in 2020. The new e-bikes will be distributed across key central London locations and will enable even more Londoners to enjoy the benefits that cycling can bring, from improved health to cleaner air. The new bikes will help to break down the barriers that stop some people from cycling, including fitness, age, and journey length. E-bikes will be able to be docked at any of the scheme’s 800 docking stations, giving customers an easy and sustainable way of travelling across a large area of central and inner London.     

   TfL will also be making changes to the Santander Cycles fare tariff from 12 September, to support the introduction of e-bikes and to secure continued investment in cycle hire. The changes will make charges for access more flexible and easier to understand for everyone.      

   Feedback from customers has shown that the current tariff structure, which charges an annual membership fee or a daily access fee of £2, plus additional charges for rides longer than 30 minutes, is complex and inflexible. The changes, which are the first since 2013, include:          

   • A new flat rate of £1.65 per 30-minute ride. This will replace the existing daily access charge, which is £2 for unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes in a 24-hour period, with additional charges for rides over 30 minutes 
   • A new monthly membership option, costing £20 per month. The membership, which can be cancelled at any time, will allow customers unlimited 60-minute rides in the month and will improve the scheme’s offer to people who do not wish to commit to an annual membership           
   • The annual membership will now offer unlimited 60-minute rides, instead of the unlimited 30-minute rides currently offered. The price of an annual membership will increase to £120, reflecting increased running costs and inflation since it was last changed in 2013    
   • E-bikes will initially be available to registered users only, for a fare of £3.30 per 30-minute ride or an additional fare of £1 per 60 minutes for monthly and annual members  

   The £1.65 new flat rate for customers who are not Santander Cycles members matches the price of a bus fare, meaning that Santander Cycles will continue to offer one of the best value ways to get around London.    

   TfL has also confirmed that a number of new docking stations are set to open in the London Borough of Southwark later this year, the scheme’s first expansion since it was introduced to Bermondsey and Rotherhithe in 2019. The new docking stations will be located at Burgess Park Albany Road, South Bermondsey station, Clements Road, Harris Academy, Brandon Street, Crimscott Street and The Blue. The new docking stations will be built with funding from Southwark Council.   

   The scheme has continued to break records for 11 record months in a row, with every month from September 2021 to July 2022 achieving the highest number of hires for that month since the scheme began. The scheme also experienced a historic year in 2021 with a record-breaking number of hires across the year as well as during several different months. 10.9 million hires took place in 2021, surpassing the previous best target set in 2018 by 371,000 hires. More than one million individual customers used the cycle hire scheme last year, the first time this milestone has been reached in a calendar year. 178,000 new members joined the scheme in 2021, a seven per cent increase on 2020 and more than double that of any year prior to 2020. 

   Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted to be launching our first ever e-bikes for hire. Another first for London hot on the heels of another record-breaking month for Santander Cycles, which saw an incredible 1.3m journeys in July. It will be great to see these new e-bikes on London’s streets soon. 

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

   David Eddington, TfL’s Head of Cycle Hire, said: “Santander Cycles is a vital part of London’s transport system and is more popular than ever, with the scheme seeing 11 record-breaking months in a row. We want to make sure that the scheme continues to be one of the easiest and most sustainable ways of travelling in the capital. 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.”     

   Dan Sherwood, Marketing Director, Santander UK: “Broadening out the appeal of Santander Cycles through the addition of the new e-bikes is great news for Londoners, meaning more people can take advantage of a sustainable and healthy way to travel. With popularity of the scheme at an all-time high, we hope the introduction of e-bikes, along with a simplified tariff structure, will ensure Santander Cycles continue to go from strength to strength.”  

   Cllr Catherine Rose, Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for Parks, Streets and Clean Air, said: “We are delighted to be working with TfL to expand the Santander Cycle scheme further south in our borough and excited to welcome the first of these additional cycle hire docking stations at the junction next to Burgess Park.   
   “The more people who switch from their cars to a bike, especially for short local trips, the better our air quality will be. People who cycle or walk more can also see improvements in physical and mental health. If you’ve not yet tried one, now is the time! We want to see more Santander bikes in more places in Southwark.” 

   The scheme was temporarily closed between 2200 on Friday 9 September and 0600 on Monday 12 September to allow its systems to be upgraded in preparation for the changes. During this time bikes that were on hire could be returned, but no hires could be made. 

   Last year it was announced that Santander will continue to sponsor London’s flagship cycle hire scheme until May 2025. This will support TfL as it moves forward with planned investment in cycle hire, ensuring the scheme continues to grow and encourage more Londoners to get cycling.

   

2. Transport for London will add an e-bike fleet to the city’s shared cycle scheme

   26/08/2022 13:09 Comments Off on Transport for London will add an e-bike fleet to the city’s shared cycle scheme

   Source: POLIS

   The TfL bike hire scheme’s pricing will now mirror that of London bus fares, with the addition of e-bike options.

   The transport scheme in London allows individuals to ride buses and trams in the city for 60 minutes, at a price of £1.65. From 12 September 2022, a fleet of 500 e-bikes will also become available for hire in 30-minute increments. Additionally, seven new docking stations will be opened in the Southwark neighborhood.

   Reaching more than 1.3 million bike rentals, July 2022 was the busiest month on record for the TfL Santander Cycles bike rental program. Since September 2021, each of the 11 months has surpassed the prior month’s record high, demonstrating a steady increase in usage. The extension is therefore predicted to be extremely well-received.

   The new pricing scheme is as follows:

   • A new flat rate of £1.65 per 30-minute ride, with the existing daily access fee to be eliminated.

   • A new and flexible monthly membership option for £20 per month, which will allow customers to take unlimited 60-minute rides per month.

   • An annual membership including unlimited 60-minute rides, which is double the current time limit, to be provided with an increased fee of £120, reflecting increased operating costs and inflation since the last change in 2013.

   • Kick-off booking is available to registered users for £3.30 per 30-minute ride or £1 per 60-minute ride for monthly and annual members.

   

3. Shared e-scooter micromobility trial in London reaches 500,000 journeys

   14/02/2022 14:55 Comments Off on Shared e-scooter micromobility trial in London reaches 500,000 journeys

   Source: Micromobilitybiz

   The e-scooter sharing services have now been used to travel upwards of 1.6 million kilometers

   New data shared by Transport for London (TfL) and three e-scooter operators Dott, Lime, and Tier announced that their ongoing shared micromobility trial in London has surpassed the milestone of half a million trips. Total journeys reached 585,000 in early February, covering a total distance of 1.6 million kilometers since the scheme’s launch just 8 months ago.

   Following sustained success, the trail has seen a six-fold increase in available vehicles, now standing at 3,585 scooters; the number of partaking boroughs has also doubled. As seen in similar schemes, there is much discussion regarding the safety of e-scooters in regard to riders themselves as well as pedestrians. For this reason, TfL is working to develop a universal e-scooter sound in collaboration with UCL – this will allow easier identification of the vehicles, particularly for those with visual impairments.

   Helen Sharp, lead in the TfL e-scooter trail shares:

   “We’re working closely with operators, councils, and people across London to build on the success of the trial so far and we hope that even more people will be able to take advantage of the trial over the coming year. The anonymised data we gather is crucial and we’ll be analysing this closely so that we can learn more about the role e-scooters could play in helping people move around London sustainably.”

   

4. Centre for London report lauds shared e-scooters and advises regulations needed

   11/10/2021 23:52 Comments Off on Centre for London report lauds shared e-scooters and advises regulations needed

   A recent report recommends that the use of private and shared e-scooters be legalised, hand in hand with the introduction of thorough and practical safety measures.

   With shared e-scooters having been in a trial phase in the UK capital for over four months now, Centre for London, a dedicated think tank focused on developing new solutions to London’s critical challenges, has released a report looking at how micromobility vehicles such as e-scooters and e-bikes could help to reduce car use, cut carbon emissions, and improve air quality in the capital. 

   Key findings state that:

   “Two thirds of car trips in London could be made by micromobility vehicles in 20 minutes or less, with most of these trips taking place in outer London where there are fewer public transport options.”

   and

   “Micromobility vehicles emit between 34 and 90 per cent (shared e-scooter vs private bike) fewer carbon emissions than private cars, and do not produce harmful pollutants at the point of use.”

   Some measures put forward included giving powers to Transport for London to manage shared e-scooter schemes within the city, making sure all vehicles meet minimum safety standards, and making it a requirement for shared scheme providers to locate schemes in neighbourhoods with fewer public transport options. The government can also support lower-income and ethnic minority groups in making e-scooters more accessible through tax incentives and loans.

   The report calls specifically on the government to enact these changes, and outlines how improvements are needed, for instance in streamlining the riding and parking experience, and in ensuring more joined-up services across regions. Operators too can raise their game, in areas such as pricing, delivery of training, vehicle safety measures and more.

   Josh Cottell, Research Manager, Centre for London said:

   “Legalising private ownership and riding is the first step towards building a gold standard for micromobility in the UK, with Transport for London – and other equivalent authorities in towns and cities across the country given the powers to arrange shared schemes for micromobility vehicles as they emerge.”

   Read more: https://www.centreforlondon.org/news/legalising-escooters-cut-car-use/

   Download the full report here: https://www.centreforlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Micromobility_in_London_Report.pdf

5. UK’s first electric cargo bike sharing scheme launches in Hackney

   20/09/2021 00:48 Comments Off on UK’s first electric cargo bike sharing scheme launches in Hackney

   Residents or visitors in Stoke Newington, London Fields and Shoreditch will this September be able to take advantage of a small fleet of rental electric cargo bikes, in the first scheme of its kind in the UK

   With local councils in the country setting and chasing ambitious emissions targets, and the general public’s growing appetite for greener lifestyle options, it may come as a surprise that no such setup exists already. Under the name Cargo Bike Share, eight electrically assisted ecargo bikes will be available for hire via 4 docking stations. The bikes can carry up to 80kg and will allow people a more environmentally friendly option when it comes to moving heavy loads, such as bulky shopping, personal belongings, equipment and more.

   This much-anticipated arrangement is funded by the Mayor of London and the tri-borough Zero Emissions Network, and is being delivered by urban bike share provider, Beryl, with hire arranged through their app.

   Of the scheme, Cllr Mete Coban MBE, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm said: “Our residents and businesses are passionate about doing all they can to help improve air quality – and we’re launching this scheme to provide easy-to-access e-cargo bikes for shopping and carrying goods.

   Cargo Bike Share is a nationwide first, and is one of the many ways we’re working to rebuild a greener Hackney in the aftermath of the pandemic – with cleaner air, healthier lives and better neighbourhoods for all of our residents and businesses.”

   Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, commented: “We know that by taking steps to help residents and businesses lower their emissions, we can create a greener Islington and achieve net zero carbon status by 2030, to help tackle the climate emergency.

   Cargo bikes provide a greener, healthier way for residents and businesses to travel around the borough, helping to reduce congestion on our roads and improving air quality for everyone and the ZEN project is a key part of how we want to encourage their use.

   Through our people-friendly streets programme, we have been able to create safer, greener, healthier streets that are better suited to walking, cycling and using buggies and wheelchairs. We look forward to seeing Islington’s residents and businesses use these environmentally-friendly cargo bikes on the borough’s streets.”

   Beryl chief executive Philip Ellis said: “For last mile deliveries or short journeys, e-cargo bikes are by far the best and often the most time efficient way to move large or heavy items. By replacing vans, a network of e-cargo bikes has the potential to transform local areas making them safer and more pleasant to live and work in, due to the reduction in CO2 emissions, noise pollution and stationary motor vehicles that take up valuable space on our streets.

   We are really excited to be partnering with Hackney Council to launch this UK-first trial, which we believe will have a lasting positive impact on the community, and widen access to e-cargo bikes.

   ‘Beryl has always strived to be a micro-mobility pioneer that offers the broadest options in an affordable and accessible way. We believe this e-cargo bike trial has the potential to show what is possible in many urban areas across the UK, as businesses and residents explore more sustainable transport options.’’

   Source: https://news.hackney.gov.uk/cargo-bike-sharing-to-launch-in-stoke-newington-london-fields-and-shoreditch/