City Hall Lib Dems call for more novelty cycle hire bike designs

Mayor Boris Johnson has been urged to “put a bit of fun back into the cycle hire scheme” by commissioning a series of novelty and themed bike designs.

Yesterday the Mayor unveiled 101 special edition yellow bikes in honour of the 101st Tour de France – which is coming to London on the 7th July 2014 – despite previously saying deviating from the standard blue design would be “prohibitively expensive”.

London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon says the Mayor should commission more special designs and colour schemes, rather than “meeting every corporate wish” of scheme sponsors Barclays.

The Liberal Democrat AM previously called for bikes to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary and events such as Pride.

Ms Pidgeon said moving away from a single colour scheme could “attract far more people, and especially tourists and visitors, onto the bikes.”