Boris Bikes Finally Get Mobile Reservation App

boris bikes cyclingLondons Boris Bikes, or Santander Cycles, to give them their proper name, have finally had an app launched that will enable users to reserve bikes and pay for them via their phones, five years after the scheme launched.

The bikes, which were originally sponsored by Barclays but were taken over by Santander in February, have quickly become an iconic fixture around the capital, and enable residents and tourists to borrow a cycle and deposit at another terminal after finishing their journey. The cycle hire scheme is the second-largest of its type in Europe, and since its introduction, 40m journeys have been made using the bikes.

While an existing app enabled users to check where cycle terminals were, and how many bikes were available at each docking station, cyclists had to head to a docking station and use it to get a code that would then enable them to release and make use of the bike. With the new app, users can register a bank card, pay and receive a code directly on their mobile.

The free app, available on Android and iOS, will also enable users to view recent journeys and charges, confirm that bikes have been securely docked and even plan journeys around London based on the position of the 750 docking stations.

“The new Santander Cycles App will make finding and hiring a bike in our great Capital city even more of a doddle,” said Mayor of London Boris Johnson. “The App is packed full of handy new features and is part and parcel of our plans to take the cycle hire scheme to the next level and encourage more people on to two wheels.”