Bike Hire Program a Major

Bike Hire Program a Major Boost to Public Transportation in London Commuters in the U.K. may want to include helmets with their briefcases as they set out for their morning commute, as biking may become the most convenient way to get around in the U.K. Bike hire programs, already popular in Spain and France, have become quite popular in London as of late. Recent Tube delays in London have created chaotic commutes for Tube users, forcing many to look for other ways to get to work.

One angry commuter, Graham Patterson, related through his twitter: "Travel chaos, Jubilee line being broke. Only just arrived at work, about 45 mins late." Most of the Tube delays can be traced to London Tube employees' discontent over expected staffing cuts by Transport for London. Transport for London, however, has few alternatives to the staffing cuts. The department had its funding from the Department of Transportation cut by £2.2bn over the next four years.

Some even consider this generous, considering the Department of Transportation had its own spending cut by 21% during the latest U.K. Spending Review. Transport for London angered many employees by ordering the staffing cuts, but the alternatives were equally grim for tube users. It could have either raised fares significantly or it could have reduced service. Both would have hurt tube users permanently, while the strikes are expected to be only temporary.

In a city so dependent on public transportation, and where it is so expensive to drive, commuter options seem to have been exhausted by the recent tube delays. Fortunately, London Mayor Boris Johnson introduced a new city transportation initiative called Boris' Bikes last July. The bike hire program has received a largely positive response since its introduction, with usage disproportionately heavy during rush hour.

Simon May, a London contractor, gushes "My team use the tube to get between sites but actually it would be much more efficient to nip everywhere on one of these bikes." Considering London's recent tube delays, Boris Bikes has proved a welcome alternative for many commuters. On the average day, Boris Bikes attracts 9,617 users. During one of the transit unions' 24-hour strikes in early October, usage of Boris Bikes jumped 23% to 11,822.

Although the bike hire program has been fairly well-received in London, and increasingly so since the tube delays, it may be a purely London phenomenon for now. Residents in Harrow, for example, seem skeptical of the necessity and effectiveness of public bike rental program.

One Harrow resident, Richard Long, 38, commented that "Outside of London the bikes will have no use and, especially in Harrow, they would just be vandalized." Another resident, a banker who wished to remain confidential, added that "everything is close by and people would use alternative ways to get into the city, people will either use the bus or their own cars.

The only way that I can see the Boris Bikes working is if there are dockings in key areas such as the hospital, the main town centre, universities or the golf course." Unlike Londoners, where people are accustomed to sharing space and public goods, Harrow residents cannot imagine publicly shared bikes.