London Cycle Hire

I am coming to the conclusion that for people like myself - trying to replace 20-30 mins walks / short hops on tubes in busy parts of town - it doesn't work at present - the system is too small and full of bugs.

This means that I cannot plan to use a bike to get from A to B. I have tried to approach it like this, but it has failed (and I've missed appointments etc because of it). Instead, as an unreliable service, it's a bonus /add-on for a bit of a laugh if you're lucky, rather than a form of transport.

As I have been saying for years, a better use of the 150 million quid would have been on reliable and safe bike parking hubs for commuters.

I've been using the BBs since they were available, and I have to say I think it's a great investment. It encourages more people to abandon the tube or buses in favour of an environmentally friendly, anti-congestion method of transport. By raising the number of cyclists on the roads, it should encourage drivers to be more careful, and the Council to install more cycle lanes.

I also think relying on the BBs to get you to appointments was an error. They're great for getting me where I'm going in reasonable time, but they're hardly courier bikes.