E-bike numbers to increase in London by more than 200%

A £3 day pass will be introduced, allowing an unlimited number of journeys under 30 minutes in a day

The number of Santander e-bikes in the capital is set to increase by more than 200% this summer as a result of Transport for London (TfL) investment.

TfL says the increase from 600 to 2,000 e-bikes will improve access to the scheme across the capital.

A new £3 day pass will be introduced, allowing an unlimited number of journeys under 30 minutes in a day, and £1 for extra half-hours.

TfL said that membership prices for Santander cycles would remain the same.

Although TfL said it had been a record year for cycle hires through its £20-a-month membership scheme, with 6.75m in 2023, the transport operator recorded its lowest level of regular hires in a decade last August.

About 11 million journeys were made from January to November 2022, while roughly eight million hires were recorded in the equivalent period in 2023.

'More popular than ever'

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the new day pass rate would "make Santander bikes one of the most affordable ways to travel in the capital".

"I'm determined to continue building a cleaner, greener and more prosperous London for everyone, and Santander Cycles plays a hugely important role in making active travel around the city as accessible as possible," he said.

David Eddington, TfL's head of cycle hire, said: "Santander Cycle e-bike usage in the capital is now more popular than ever so these additional e-bikes will allow more people to be able to access them.

"We've also listened to our customers regarding our fare tariff and are introducing a day pass to give people making multiple journeys in a day certainty about the overall cost of using the scheme."

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