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London cyclists to use contactless smart card system
25 Nov 2009

Contactless smart cards will be used by Londoners to access a new bicycle scheme in their city from May next year.

Mayor Boris Johnson has indicated that developing public bike terminals is one way of encouraging more people to use this form of transport on a regular basis, which could consequently reduce traffic and CO2 emissions from motor vehicles.

The Evening Standard reports that smart cards will be used by those who pay into the scheme when they want to unlock a bike from one of the 431 docking stations set to be installed throughout nine of London's boroughs and parks.

Not all of the 'stations' have planning permission yet, while it is currently thought that cyclists will be made to pay a weekly, monthly or annual subscription to use the service, placing a deposit with a credit card.

However, according to the newspaper, doubts have arisen about the plausibility of the scheme after it has emerged that a similar initiative in Paris has seen thousands of bikes stolen or damaged.