Thousands register for cycle hire scheme

More than 4500 people have now registered for the Barclay’s Cycle Hire scheme, according to Transport for London.

The technical trouble that struck on Friday, which prevented some people registering their credit card details, has now been solved according to a TfL spokesperson.

She urged potential users of the scheme to register as soon as possible, “We would recommend that people sign up as quickly as they can to be certain of getting the special keys they need to use the bikes when the scheme opens this coming Friday.”

She said the usual turnaround time from registration to receiving a key is three days – although some people received theirs as early as Saturday after signing up when registration opened last Friday.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the scheme, there are 14 road show events planned for the coming weeks at various venues all over London.

The road shows will give you a chance to try out the cycles, and see a docking station up close. There will also be all the information you need about signing up for the scheme, costs, using the bikes, staying safe and cycle training. For a full list of the venues and timings, visit the TfL website.

There’s also a new film on the site featuring advice to help new, rusty or current cyclists polish up their on-the-road skills. The short animated video provides tips for new cyclists such as finding the ideal road position and staying visible by avoiding blind spots of larger vehicles.

The film also highlights TfL’s common sense ‘Code of Conduct’ that all Barclays Cycle Hire users are expected to adhere to. It can be viewed, with a short film explaining how Barclays Cycle Hire works, on YouTube.