Commuters at Vauxhall on Wednesday
(Picture: EVENING STANDARD)The “Boris bike” hire scheme recorded its second highest number of rides as Londoners took to two wheels during the Tube strike, it was revealed on Wednesday.
There were more than 67,000 hires of the Santander-sponsored bikes on Tuesday - more than double the daily average of 27,00 a day.
Cyclists reported packed cycleways - with more than 8,700 journeys on the Embankment cycle superhighway by 1pm - and many novice riders on the road.
Transport for London said it was also the busiest day for e-scooter hires, with more than 10,000 journeys made on the three models currently being trialled in London.
It was a similar situation on Wednesday morning, due to Tube services not resuming until 8am as a result of Tuesday’s walkout by the RMT and Unite unions, in protest at the axing of 600 station staff posts and the threat to pensions.
More than 10,200 of the hire bikes were available on Tuesday, with staff redistributing them to key locations. However, some cyclists reported problems with the app that can be used to hire a bike.
Demand during the four network-wide Tube strikes so far this year is likely to see the total annual number of hires exceed 11m for the first time.
TfL is planning to expand the bike hire scheme in Southwark, with eight new docking stations being introduced. It is also due to unveil 500 e-bikes this summer. There are currently more than 800 docking stations across central London.
