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Barclays/TFL cycle hire scheme in London

Crispy said:
How could you modify the system to make it more accessible?
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Don't see why they couldn't have a similar discount for job seekers like they do on the buses and trams (why not off-peak tube?)

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/11482.aspx

Loss / damage provision could be made by properly registering, presumably pay back at a similar rate to any other fine. Would need big joined up government for that though.
 
tbf, I don't think 60p a bus journey is too bad to be getting on with.

If and when a group representing people who feel excluded make a case, that might be a time to think about an issue that hasn't yet been raised.
 
salem said:
The other thing I find interesting is that there is no provision for helmets which goes against everything that has been drummed into us over the years by cycling organisations.
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What I thought when I saw people actually using them for the first time...

salem said:
I understand that requiring helmets would make the system unworkable and broadly support the scheme...
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Not impossible? Is it possible to make a helmet that adjusts to head size? With a sturdy strap at the back, that you leave attached to the bike...

Apart from the nits problem, anyway.

salem said:
it'll make for interesting media when the inevitable happens (that + the bikes being very distinctive = perfect front page photo opp)
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Yesterday I tried to open a book on "First screaming Fail headline about Boris Bike Bloodbath" but there were no takers :( I say 7 September.
 
BBC said:
People using London's cycle hire scheme are being charged an access fee for every key they hold, even if they use just one to release a bicycle.

Link
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Just seen this which seems utterly utterly stupid. I really don't get how they can get something so fundamental wrong. The ideal solution would be that one key could unlock 2 bikes so you can ride with an unregistered partner. The two keys method is a bit annoying in that you have to carry two around. But to charge the access fee for each key even if you use only one! Utterly stupid and will now no doubt lead to lots of people cancelling their extra keys (if not their whole account).

As someone who's so far only on the £1/day access fee scheme this essentially doubles the cost for me to use it. :mad:
 
That's really annoying.

Elsewhere, I'm pretty surprised the media hasn't come up with stories of disaffected yoofs forming giant bonfires of stolen bikes. In fact, I haven't seen any major negativity yet. Apart from what's his name on here.
 
salem said:
Just seen this which seems utterly utterly stupid. I really don't get how they can get something so fundamental wrong. The ideal solution would be that one key could unlock 2 bikes so you can ride with an unregistered partner. The two keys method is a bit annoying in that you have to carry two around. But to charge the access fee for each key even if you use only one! Utterly stupid and will now no doubt lead to lots of people cancelling their extra keys (if not their whole account).

As someone who's so far only on the £1/day access fee scheme this essentially doubles the cost for me to use it. :mad:
Click to expand...

This put me off getting an extra key. They explained it would double my charges at any subscription length so I said no thanks. It's a bit mad that we've got to set up another account with a different card if we want a spare key at a reasonable cost.
 
London_Calling said:
That's really annoying.

Elsewhere, I'm pretty surprised the media hasn't come up with stories of disaffected yoofs forming giant bonfires of stolen bikes. In fact, I haven't seen any major negativity yet. Apart from what's his name on here.
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I read a story yesterday that said that so far there's been one theft and 3 cases of vandalism - but massive take up of the scheme - think it was on the BBC... I agree, it's been overwhelmingly positive so far. I'm pleased.
 
It's totally stupid you can't use one key to access two bikes. In just the same way you can't use your TFL oyster account to access the system. So if you're already manage your oyster card online and want a key for you and a key for your partner/friend/whatever you have to have three separate accounts online.

More fuckwittery from TFL.
 
My cycle hire trip today.

\start lunch hour

Get bike.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights.
Get shouted at by Taxi driver
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Inexplicably find myself on pedestrian area
Look for docking station near to intended destination
Fail to find docking station near to intended destination
Consult TfL docking station map on phone
Wait for TfL docking station web page to load on phone and be not really suitable for use on a mobile device
Head towards docking station
Wait at traffic lights.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Find docking station
Docking station full
Docking station terminal has crashed so can't claim extra 15 minutes
Head off to alternative docking station
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights
Find alternative docking station
Dock bike with 1 min 34 seconds left on half-hour allowance
Walk to intended destination
No time left to actually do intended stuff at intended destination
Get on tube back to work

/end lunch hour
 
OMG those terminals are STILL crashing?! It's been like what, a couple of weeks now!

They have seriously screwed up launching this system.
 
I think "seriously screwed up" is a bit excessive. It's a massive scheme and it's only been up and running for, as you say, a couple of weeks. I'm surprised there haven't been more problems.
 
teuchter said:
My cycle hire trip today.

\start lunch hour

Get bike.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights.
Get shouted at by Taxi driver
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Inexplicably find myself on pedestrian area
Look for docking station near to intended destination
Fail to find docking station near to intended destination
Consult TfL docking station map on phone
Wait for TfL docking station web page to load on phone and be not really suitable for use on a mobile device
Head towards docking station
Wait at traffic lights.
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Find docking station
Docking station full
Docking station terminal has crashed so can't claim extra 15 minutes
Head off to alternative docking station
Get caught in one way system that doesn't go the way I want to
Wait at traffic lights
Find alternative docking station
Dock bike with 1 min 34 seconds left on half-hour allowance
Walk to intended destination
No time left to actually do intended stuff at intended destination
Get on tube back to work

/end lunch hour
Click to expand...

On the bright side at least you were exercised.

/cunning wordplay]
 
teuchter said:
I think "seriously screwed up" is a bit excessive. It's a massive scheme and it's only been up and running for, as you say, a couple of weeks. I'm surprised there haven't been more problems.
Click to expand...

Alright, it's not Terminal 5 quite yet. But all this is just on top of the system failing sometimes to register bikes as returned, failing in some places to let you remove a bike, failing to even be delivered on time to some areas, failing to integrate it with your most likely already existing Oyster account to manage it. Not to mention the one account per bike only rule, and the convenient omission of Amex as a payment method.

What was is Boris said? the "Rolls Royce" of bike hire schemes or something. Hardly.
 
I think I read something today about TFL making Serco install the system within a much shorter time frame than originally planned, hence some of the teething problems.
 
My ride today.

Got lift to bike station near blackfriers. Cycled down to get No 3 bus. Put bike back at kennington road where staff were removing excess bikes. Walked across road caught bus. Another 1.20 bus fare saved and I did some more exercise. Fuck all wrong with that.
 
the other day there were only 3 outside my work. Today and yesterday none. They are digging up the road just beside so maybe there is something wrong.
 
it's just that i saw a lorry delivering a load to an empty docking station in earl's court this morning. seems like a major operation if they do.
 
They don't take them away at night as far as I know but they do redistribute them during the day. There is a kind of little electric vehicle which tows a trailer around, upon which the bikes can be stowed.

I'm guessing that it's going to take a few weeks monitoring the usage patterns before they'll have a good picture of when and where the docking stations tend to get empty or full, and then they'll hopefully be able to redistribute more effectively than at present.

Loads of stations in the bond st/oxford st/regent st area were completely empty when I walked through there this evening.
 
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