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Barclays/TFL cycle hire scheme in London

ajdown said:
Why do you think cyclists should? I just don't get how cyclists think they own the road when they contribute nothing to the costs of providing them.
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Cyclists pay taxes too. Car taxes are not ringfenced for roads.
 
ajdown said:
Of course it is. How many people look forward to learning to drive and getting their own car, compared to how many people think "I could learn to drive but I'm going to decide to keep getting cold and wet on a bike".
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I have learnt to drive, but I'd much rather cycle 4 miles in London than drive.
 
ajdown said:
It's queuejumping. Not giving consideration to other road users.
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Ah, so what it comes down to is you feel agfgrieved that you're stuck in your car waiting in traffic while cyclists get ahead?

Easy solution to that, get a bike and stop bitching.
 
ajdown said:
It's queuejumping. Not giving consideration to other road users.
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What about on pavements? When there's a single old man shuffling along, should all other pedestrians slow down to his speed in order to show consideration?
 
ajdown said:
Why do you think cyclists should? I just don't get how cyclists think they own the road when they contribute nothing to the costs of providing them.
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All of us cyclists pay income tax, VAT, council tax, all of which contribute to general taxation which pays for roads. We may not pay vehicle excise duty (if we dont own cars: I persoanlly do as I'm a car owner as well as cyclist) but this does not mean we dont pay for roads.
 
Labour goverments hate car users because it gives people the chance to be independent. They just want everyone to follow what the State decides they should think without questioning.
 
ajdown said:
Labour goverments hate car users because it gives people the chance to be independent. They just want everyone to follow what the State decides they should think without questioning.
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So that'll be why a Tory Mayor is bringing this program in...
 
ajdown said:
Labour goverments hate car users because it gives people the chance to be independent. They just want everyone to follow what the State decides they should think without questioning.
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rainer300pix.jpg


go

play

with

traffic

:)
 
ajdown said:
Labour goverments hate car users because it gives people the chance to be independent. They just want everyone to follow what the State decides they should think without questioning.
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You're getting really, really desparate now aren't you, resorting to standard tory flim flam about freedom vs the state...when in fact a bike gives you more freedom than any other form of transport since you aren't reliant on oil, govt to provide infrastructure to drive on and a legal framework to control the use of vehicles...so even this argument is made of fail...
 
ajdown said:
Labour goverments hate car users because it gives people the chance to be independent. They just want everyone to follow what the State decides they should think without questioning.
Click to expand...

I feel most independent and free when I'm on my bicycle though (and i am quite obsessive about following road rules and tend not to filter). I can travel door to door, don't need to pay anything, look for parking spaces, worry about timetables or wait for the next bus/tube to come along.
 
Spark said:
I feel most independent and free when I'm on my bicycle though (and i am quite obsessive about following road rules and tend not to filter). I can travel door to door, don't need to pay anything, look for parking spaces, worry about timetables or wait for the next bus/tube to come along.
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Exactly - if anything cycling empowers the individual so that they dont have to rely on the state to provide for their transport needs - a rightwing idea if ever I saw one, and remember Norman Tebbit speaking urging people to "get on their bikes" and of course our glorious Tory Mayor is best known for being a cyclist.
 
back to the OP

I have the full feasibility study for the Cycle hire Scheme..

This bit irks me the most:
"There is a significant market from after rail commuters. However, sufficient space to cater for the full demand is unlikely to be available. Hence, it is not recommended to cater for this market initially."

..or ever.
 
citydreams said:
I have the full feasibility study for the Cycle hire Scheme..

This bit irks me the most:
"There is a significant market from after rail commuters. However, sufficient space to cater for the full demand is unlikely to be available. Hence, it is not recommended to cater for this market initially."

..or ever.
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"Unlikely to be available" - says who? :mad:

They've just shot themselves in the foot big style.
 
Well, there is space, but it's being used by taxis or, er, cycle parking

In the end I think it comes down to 'profit', sorry, 'value for money'. Commuter (as in rail station) demand would likely mean that the bikes are only used two or three times a day (am journey into work, pm journey home, and maybe an evening trip).

For any kind of return on investment the hire scheme is looking at 7 trips per bike a day. Apparently Barcelona gets 15 trips/day for its 6000 bikes, for which there are 200,000 registered users.
 
I lived in Paris and experienced the velib first hand. I suspect it won't work in London because:

* They are not putting enough bikes in. It has to be SWAMPED. Paris works because you don't have to know where the bikes or docking stations are - they are everywhere.
* Paris is cheap beyond chips. 29 euros for a year's (sic, year) pass. Ie 20 quid. Every journey (under 30 mins) then free.
* Paris is compact and dense.
* Paris (inside peripherique) has no crime, graffiti or feral hoodies.
* Paris has no HGV or large delivery lorries.

None of these logistical details, which make the difference between winning and losing, I suspect Boris will put his mind to.
 
Crispy said:
I hadn't noticed this but now I think about it you're right. must be a law, right?
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Yes there is a law (but, ahem, don't ask me the details :) ). You don't see HGV at any time of day or night. Deliveries seem to be done by transit-size van early in the morning.

BTW - another good thing about Paris is there are no overhead flights at all. Ever. You don't notice an omission immediately, but that is a real godsend.
 
A few snippets of new info: http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2009/03/mayors-questions-0209-on-yer-bike.html

The hire bikes will not have locks, so you have to return them to a docking point when you finish your journey. This is because most of the thefts in the Paris scheme were made when the bikes were locked up away from Docks. However, this seems crazy - you can't pop into a shop and leave the bike locked up outside. It reduces convenience massively.
 
ajdown said:
They'd be much better off introducing a compulsory cycling standards test and licensing system, so that a) fuckwits who jump red lights can be caught, and b) it becomes safer for other road users, knowing that they are less likely to have some idiot on a bike cut them up and put them at risk of damaging their vehicle when they hit the bike, or another car hits them because of the evasive action they had to.

How do you sue a cyclist that causes you to have an accident when you can't identify them, and they have no insurance to claim on?
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Instead of arguing with these remarks, I will simply say:

HAAHAAHAAHAAHAAA

Your ideas have not even been acknowledged by any public body, whereas the idea you oppose looks set to become reality in the near future.

SHAME :) :D ;)
 
Crispy said:
A few snippets of new info: http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/2009/03/mayors-questions-0209-on-yer-bike.html

The hire bikes will not have locks, so you have to return them to a docking point when you finish your journey. This is because most of the thefts in the Paris scheme were made when the bikes were locked up away from Docks. However, this seems crazy - you can't pop into a shop and leave the bike locked up outside. It reduces convenience massively.
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Incorrect. The velib bikes have little wire locks on them you can loop through fences, gates, lighting stands and what not.
 
jæd said:
Incorrect. The velib bikes have little wire locks on them you can loop through fences, gates, lighting stands and what not.
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Yes, hence the thefts in the Paris scheme, and hence the bikes in the London scheme will not have such locks :confused:
 
Will there be a charge for using these or will they be covered by a travelcard?

It would seem to make sense that they should be included on a travelcard, if the idea is to reduce the strain on tubes and buses etc.

If I've already got a travelcard, the likelihood of my using the bikes is very much reduced if I have to pay extra.
 
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