Londoners unhappy with Boris bikes

Boris bikes, named after Boris Johnson the mayor of London, are not quite as popular as they were when the scheme first came into operation three years ago.

An increase in costs, as well as difficulty in finding a bike at peak times in key areas of the city are some of the causes of the dissatisfaction.

A survey has recently shown that one in five of those who use the scheme are threatening to leave if the service, which now costs £90 a year, does not improve. Over half of these were dissatisfied because they think that the scheme is now too expensive. A third were unhappy because they couldn’t find bicycles when and where they want them.

Other concerns are the condition of the bikes – especially the gears – and general road safety for cyclists in London.

One suggestion to improve the service is to give bikers who return bicycles to the most popular docking stations a free half hour.

Boris bikes were used for nine million rides in 2012.