Published: 20 September, 2012
by CLARE HEALY

A PETITION has  been launched calling on the Mayor of London to extend his “Boris Bikes” scheme to the bottom of Swain’s Lane and the Parliament Hill Lido.

The petition, organised by the Camden Green Party, calls for the popular cycle hire facilities to be extended from its current northern edge at Bonny Street, by Camden Road overground station, and Castlehaven Road, close to Camden Market.

Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party and chairwoman of the Camden Green Party, said: “It would be fantastic for [the cycle hire scheme] to extend to places like Hampstead Heath where so many people want to go, especially at the weekends,  and to Kentish Town with its range of shops and services.

“The bikes are great for users because they’re much cheaper than buses and more reliable, and of course they keep you fit. They’re great for the community because they reduce traffic congestion and pollution.”

The bikes were first rolled out in December 2010, with around 30,000 journeys now made on them each day.

Jean Dollimore, from the Camden Cycling Campaign, which supports the petition, said: “London still has a long way to go to catch up with the Paris Velib scheme; the docking stations in Paris are closer together and the scheme stretches over a wider area.
“Londoners deserve to have more hire bikes, a higher density of docking stations and availability to people living further from the centre.”

A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL), who operate the scheme, said: “The Mayor would certainly be keen to take Barclays Cycle Hire to other parts of London if further funding becomes available.”

The Mayor has asked TfL to prepare plans for a westward expansion of the scheme through the boroughs of Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Lambeth and Kensington & Chelsea. However, there are currently no plans to extend the scheme in north London.

The campaign can be followed on Twitter through #bikes4nw5