Cycle Hire Scheme: How It Works
On Friday 30th July, Mayor Boris Johnson will launch his highly-anticipated Cycle Hire Scheme in London.
Users will be able to pick up use one of 6,000 bikes in Central London for a small fee. But how exactly does it work? Find out below...
How can I hire a bike?
Firstly, you have to register online at the Cycle Hire Scheme website. Once you have done that, you can then pick up a bike from one of the docking stations any time you want.
When can you hire the bikes?
Bikes are available 24 hours a day, with no need to book.
Bikes can be picked up from any of the 400 docking stations around Central London.
How much does it cost?
You will need to pay two prices - a registration fee for access and a usage fee per journey.
- Registration fee
24 hours access: £1
Seven days access: £5
Annual access: £45
- Usage fee
Up to 30 minutes - Free
Then...
Up to 1 hr - £1
Up to 1 hr 30mins - £4
Up to 2 hrs - £6
Up to 2 hrs 30mins - £10
Up to 3 hrs - £15
Up to 6 hrs - £35
Up to 24 hrs (max usage fee) - £50
- Other charges
Late return charge - £150
Damage charge - Up to £300
Non-return charge - £300
Who can hire the bikes?
Any registered user over the age of 14 who can ride a bike without help is free to make use of the bikes.
What if I can't find a docking station to return the bike?
There are 6,000 bikes and 10,200 docking station spaces, so you should never have a problem returning your bike exactly where you want to.