“Dear Petitioner,
Thank you for the petition submitted on the change.org website about bringing 'Boris bikes' to south-east London.
As you may be aware, the Mayor recently announced Santander as the new sponsor and partner of the cycle hire scheme. This seven-year partnership will see the scheme transformed with new services, including a Santander Cycles app.
The Mayor has always said that the cycle hire scheme is a developing programme and he has asked Transport for London (TfL) to look at ways to achieve this and improve the scheme in a sustainable way.
TfL’s current focus is ‘intensification’ – adding more docking points within the current scheme boundary to give users more opportunity to hire and dock bikes, and to aid redistribution. There are no current plans or budget to further expand the scheme beyond the current footprint, with the exception of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. But TfL is always happy to consider suggestions for new sites within the current scheme area subject to available funding, operational considerations and local circumstances.
When considering new sites for Santander Cycles, TfL must make a balanced assessment across London and a whole range of considerations need to be taken into account. This covers many issues including the expected cost of maintenance and predicted passenger footfall, through to the usage of the bikes in the area to ensure both bike and docking availability. In addition, TfL has other important operational considerations such as the physical space available for docking stations and the local demand for such an expansion. As you might expect, strong backing from the local authority plays an important role too.
Yours sincerely
Public Liaison Officer
Greater London Authority”
