Boris Bikes - the Janus face of cycling.

[Flying Dodo]

He invented the "Boris Bike". This was a chain of public bicycles unlockable on payment with a charge card for general hire by the capital public. Good on yer, again, Boz! .....or maybe not!

Ignoring the rest of your twaddle, but Boris didn't invent, or come up with the idea for hire bikes in London. The plans were drawn up under Ken Livingstone's regime, and Boris merely inherited the ongoing implementation.

 

[dellzeqq]

Just to put the facts in here. Over 10 million Boris Bike journeys completed to date without helmets without a single serious injury.

despite, let it be said, some fairly sketchy riding.

 

[dellzeqq]

Where is this official encouragement as you put it?

My opinion? Choice... that is my opinion.
Yours is obviously not.
You want people to ride on your naked cycle ride, presumably quite happily including those who ride sans helmet on the same roads that Boris Bikes use, yet bitch that Boris Bike users should be forced to wear a helmet.
You sir are a hypocrite of the highest order.

you never know - it might catch on...

 

[NeoCaesar]

you never know - it might catch on...

Perhaps a sign of the pervert in me that my eyes were drawn here, but what a curious saddle...

 

[CopperBrompton]

Boris didn't invent, or come up with the idea for hire bikes in London. The plans were drawn up under Ken Livingstone's regime, and Boris merely inherited the ongoing implementation.

Um, no. Ken made promises, but did nothing but a cheap feasibility study and then nothing. He had eight years to make good on his promise, and failed to do so. Boris started afresh, made it a priority and had it up-and-running in two.

 

[CopperBrompton]

despite, let it be said, some fairly sketchy riding.

Much of it by foreigners cycling on the left side of the road for the first time in their lives, and much of it by people completely unfamiliar with cycling in a large city. Says a great deal about what a safe city London is to cycle in.

 

[StuartG]

Um, no. Ken made promises, but did nothing but a cheap feasibility study and then nothing. He had eight years to make good on his promise, and failed to do so. Boris started afresh, made it a priority and had it up-and-running in two.

Are you ignoring the context that Ken focussed in on the priorities in traffic management? The quick fix with 2,000 extra buses, the longer term fixes with the Overground and planned tram network - and, of course, the congestion zones. Boris rolled back what he could, took maximum praise for what he couldn't and then invented a bus (or is it eight buses?) and pushed a small amount of the money cut back into the bike programme.

Nice for those few in central London who can use them. Bit useless for the vast majority who can't. Bad for those who use them as an excuse for a public transport policy.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Are you ignoring the context that Ken focussed in on the priorities in traffic management?

We can debate his other policies (though I recommend not getting me started on **** trams!), but on the bike scheme he just made empty promises for eight years.

Nice for those few in central London who can use them. Bit useless for the vast majority who can't. Bad for those who use them as an excuse for a public transport policy.

They are used by Londoners and visitors alike, and they make a significant contribution to public transport in the capital. Sure, I'll use my Brompton whenever possible, but for the rest of the time a Boris Bike is a far superior form of public transport to the tube.

 

[StuartG]

Well it does depend where you are coming from. The 2,000 buses and consequent expansion of the Addison Free Bus Lanes did more for my cycling in outer or inner London than any bike scheme possibly could. Maybe collateral advantage, but hey the best things are not always planned

 

[CopperBrompton]

Oh, I agree that bus lanes are very handy things for encouraging cycling (just need to keep the damn buses out of them!). But I think there's no doubt at all that Boris Bikes have got loads of people cycling in London who would otherwise never have considered it. I have several friends who weren't cyclists at all, two of them hadn't cycled since they were kids, who used Boris Bikes, remembered how much fun cycling is and went out and bought their own bikes. I'm sure this is a very common story.

 

[benb]

Boris Johnson remains one of my favourite politicians, in fact maybe the only one I grudgingly endorse. It is not his politics in general, it is because he is an avid cyclist who champions the cause and also because he sided with us in oppositioon to the third runway at Heathrow. Good on yer, Boz!

then he went one further, attempting to turn London into an ersatz Amsterdam. He invented the "Boris Bike". This was a chain of public bicycles unlockable on payment with a charge card for general hire by the capital public. Good on yer, again, Boz! .....or maybe not!

Basically I do not like such a socially conscious project being sponsored by such an abject tax-evader as Barclays Bank. It stinks of hypocricy. But that is my personal grief.

More importantly is that Boris Bikes encourage unsafe use of the road.

Is there a helmet available with each bike to be unlocked with the vehicle itself for the user's benefit? No there is not! Boris Bikes encourage cycling without a helmet through the most dangerous city streets in Europe. Bad on yer, Boz!

What is C.C.'s position on this?

Hugz Will

Drivel from start to end.

 

[Dan B]

please, Ian, what is your actual opinion on official encouragement to ride without helmets?

Can't speak for Ian, but I think it's a brilliant idea.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Can't speak for Ian, but I think it's a brilliant idea.

I think you're failing to see the bigger picture here. Sure, it starts with encouraging people to cycle without helmets, which is a very safe activity, but the next thing you know people will be doing really dangerous things without helmets, like walking downstairs and DIY.