Bicycle hire schemes go global

There are over ninety mass cycle hire schemes currently in operation around the world, according to a new Wiki list of bicycle sharing systems

The biggest of the schemes include the Velib in Paris with 17,000 bicycles, HZ Bike in Hanzhou, China with 10,000 bicycles and London’s own Boris Bikes with 5,000 bicycles.

Over a million journeys have been completed on London’s hire bikes and the scheme has yet to be opened to casual users.

Bicycle User Groups

Mass hire schemes will undoubtedly boost urban cycling, but many of the best products and services aimed at cycle commuters wherever they live – such as cheap bicycles through the Cycle to Work Scheme, discounted insurance premiums and reduced rates for bicycle breakdown recovery services – are most easily accessed if people at work organise themselves and lobby their employer, according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

Forming a Bicycle User Group (BUGs) in the workplace puts cyclists in a strong position to speak to their employer about introducing benefits and facilities as a way of encouraging cycle commuting.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “It’s unusual for an employer to be proactive in encouraging cycle commuting – schemes like Cycle to Work, corporate bicycle breakdown recovery and discounted cycle insurance are often introduced only because employees have asked for them.”

Employers interested in finding out about corporate schemes to support their cycling employees should contact the ETA on 0800 212 810.

Cycle insurance

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