Bikes not buses

[Hugh]

Having learned that the London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, subsidises buses in the capital to the tune of half a billion pounds each year, I believe this money would be better spent on bicycles. For this amount of money, every adult and child could be bought a new bicycle each year. Under my plan, all bus lanes would be given over to non-motorised transport. Even if most of the bikes ended up on eBay and only 10% decided to keep and use them, we’d have over one million extra cyclists in London - enough to create a ‘critical mass’ of cyclists and, crucially, enough to encourage some of the remaining 90% to give it a go.

[David]

I always thought that the Amsterdam free bike scheme in the 1960s had a lot going for it. (You could pick up a bike anywhere and leave it at your destination.) I understand it died because too many of the 10,000 bikes were stolen. But if there were more than enough bikes to go round - as there could be given the low cost of bikes and the high cost of alternatives - that problem might go away. This seemed like an excellent idea that died because it just wasn't quite bold enough. Maybe something like it could be tried in London?

[Hugh]

I believe that the Paris bid for the 2012 Olympics includes an idea to provide a pool of 100,000 bikes to allow competitors and officials to move around easily.

[Tony]

The Amsterdam project failed because so many of them were dumped in the canals.

[Jeremy Parker]

You wouldn't have to buy people bikes, you would just have to get people to use the bikes they already have in their garden sheds. Those who don't have bikes could quickly find one by keeping a lookout whenever they pass a skip.

The USA always has owned far more bikes per head than ever the Chinese did, even at the peak of cycling in China. I don't know whether that's true of Londoners, but it might be.

Since Amsterdam's "white bicycle" scheme in the 1960s there have been many, many similar schemes round the world. Many people reading this list might remember one of the more recent, in Cambridge. There, the bikes were green. The schemes always fail.

There's a scheme starting up now, in London's Hammersmith, which seems to have thought of most of the reasons why other schemes failed, and developed a countermeasure. In Hammersmith the bikes aren't free, you pay for them by making a mobile phone call, and getting a code number to unlock the bike's lock.

We'll see how it goes.

Jeremy Parker

[Jeremy Parker]

You wouldn't have to buy people bikes, you would just have to get people to use the bikes they already have in their garden sheds. Those who don't have bikes could quickly find one by keeping a lookout whenever they pass a skip.

The USA always has owned far more bikes per head than ever the Chinese did, even at the peak of cycling in China. I don't know whether that's true of Londoners, but it might be.

Since Amsterdam's "white bicycle" scheme in the 1960s there have been many, many similar schemes round the world. Many people reading this list might remember one of the more recent, in Cambridge. There, the bikes were green. The schemes always fail.

There's a scheme starting up now, in London's Hammersmith, which seems to have thought of most of the reasons why other schemes failed, and developed a countermeasure. In Hammersmith the bikes aren't free, you pay for them by making a mobile phone call, and getting a code number to unlock the bike's lock.

We'll see how it goes.

Jeremy Parker

[Nuttfieldnutter]

For four years I got a bus to school (about 3 miles). Back then i was not very fit, and i liked cycling anyway but at the time did not have enough time to do any cycling. Then I started cycling (a diferent route of 7 or 8 miles). Now i cycle around 2000 miles a year and am considering the Land's End to John o Groats for a charity that saved my life.

[Elucasr]

You seem to forget that there are a mass of elderly and disabled who cannot cycle. The buses are often the only way they can travel. Londoners are spoilt for choice. Try living in the country, the ten mile cycle ride is very nice when you don't have to do it in all weathers, with no cyclepaths.

Don't be so selfish, there are others in the world besides cyclists.

[Hugh]

It's got nothing to do with being selfish. Pensioners in London don't need a £500,000,000-a-year bus service and the disabled are already entitled to a brand new car every three years. Take a walk down Oxford Street if you need an illustration of why buses are such a horrible part of urban life.

[Pinky]

in response to Elucasr

So what do you consider to be elderly?

I am 68 and cycle 100 miles a week and did 4895 miles last year at about 9 or 10 mph

Too many poeple of retiring age just give up the ghost and say "I am old"

My 98 year old father still goes out 3 afternoons every week ( on his own - but in a community bus) and walks 3 days a week about 400 metres into the village and back ( with a trolly I admit). He also rides his "bike" in his bedroom for half an hour 2 or 3 times a week!

[gar]

Piunky,

Is your Father's trolly a vehicle and would he get had up for using it on the pavement according to the 1835 and 1898 acts?

gar

[Elucasr]

In response to Pinky.

I am 76 and regularly go out with my DA Tuesday and Sunday afternoon rides, I manage the DA website, am DA secretary. Oh, and I ride over 3000 miles a year

[Elucasr]

In response to Pinky.

I am 76 and regularly go out with my DA Tuesday and Sunday afternoon rides, I manage the DA website, am DA secretary. Oh, and I ride over 3000 miles a year with a replacement hip.

[Elucasr]

Sorry about the double posting, but this system won't allow editing of your post.

[gar]

If we all double post perhaps HQ will get the message.

If you look at http://www.co-opnet.coop
ignoring all content, you will find a state of the art messageboard.

It would even be good to help with HQ charity fudraising if we could install one.

Nothing is expensive or dificult any more;

g