New figures released by Transport for London (TfL) show that its Santander Cycles scheme has provided a lifeline to tens of thousands of Londoners by enabling them to safely make essential journeys during the coronavirus pandemic. New 24-hour Santander Cycles membership registrations rose by 167 per cent in the year to December 2020, representing the largest increase in the scheme’s 10-year history. Meanwhile, registrations for new annual memberships increased by a quarter.
Total hire numbers for 2020 were 10,434,167 – an increase of around 6,000 hires from 2019 – despite a significant overall reduction in journeys across London during the pandemic. Santander Cycles have played a crucial role in keeping London moving during the coronavirus pandemic as more people have turned to cycling for their exercise and transport. Over the course of last year, the previous maximum daily hire number of 50,000 was surpassed on 14 separate days as record numbers of people tried Santander Cycles for the first time. The festive period also continued to be very busy for Santander Cycles with more than 60,000 hires made between the 25 and 28 December, as people took advantage of quieter streets and dry weather.
In 2020, Santander Cycles played a crucial role in supporting key workers during the pandemic. Free cycle hire access codes have been provided for NHS staff and other key workers, with 217,710 hires so far since it was made available in March 2020. Almost 18,000 people have benefited from the offer to date. The busiest location for NHS code redemption is the docking station on Lambeth Palace Road, Waterloo, near to St Thomas's Hospital. The offer has been repeatedly extended and is now valid until 21 February.
New memberships have risen by 157 per cent over the last year compared to 2019
Total hire numbers increased by around 6,000 hires in 2020 to 10,434,167
Almost 220,000 hires made using free Santander Cycles codes given to NHS staff and key workers to support their work during the pandemic
Winners of TfL’s Cycle Hire 10 competition announced for August – December 2020