LONDON - Bikes are a common fixture on London roads along with black cabs and double-decker red buses.

The bike for hire scheme, a helpful addition to the capital’s public transport options, has rolled out in London with Mayor Boris Johnson leading the launch.  

Five thousand bikes for hire are now available at special docking stations, where Londoners will be able to rent and unlock the bikes at various docking points across the city.

The bikes do not come with padlocks but are automatically locked at docking stations.

“My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a gigantic pedal-powered push forwards,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The cost of renting bikes varies from £1 for an hour to £50 for 24 hours. The use of a bike for 30 minutes is free of charge.

London cyclists said the prices are meant to push short period rents and to discourage people from keeping the cycles for long periods as the charge gets more expensive by the hour. The price for 24-hour use is almost equivalent to a bus pass for a month’s use.

Pinoys in London gave Johnson’s project a thumbs-up.

“I think it’s really good because one, it's healthy for the people, the congestion charge will be low, and the traffic in London will be less as well,” said Rizza Joy Saato.

Jessie who used to go to work riding his bicycle is happy with the bike for hire scheme. He said the front wheel of his bike was stripped off and stolen which forced him to stop cycling.

With the cycle for hire, he said he does not have to buy a new service bike.

“Kasi pag nakita n’yo ang mga bike dito, ang mamahal talaga. Kaya makakatulong sa mga nagba-bike. Pero hindi siya pwede pang malayuan. Pang malapitan lang siya,” he said.  

He also thinks that the chunky 23-kg bikes will deter people from stealing them because they are too heavy.  

But some Pinoys, like Christine Gracia, are not enticed to cycle in the busy capital.  

“'Yung magba-bike ka dito sa London, maliit ang street, crowded ang tao dito, ang dami-dami, tapos ang transport napakalaki (buses). I don’t think 'yung bike is useful sa akin. But then ang bike ay useful 'pag pupunta ka ng park, mamamasyal ka sa likod ng bahay mo. Pero on the street, it’s very dangerous,” said Gracia.

There are about 750,000 commuters in London every day. The bike for hire scheme, modeled on Paris’ Velib scheme, is aimed at encouraging Londoners to use bikes for short hops around the capital. The scheme is also designed to ease traffic.