On 30th July 2010, London's newest mode of transport was introduced, Barclays Cycle Hire.  Serco designed, built and implemented this innovative scheme in conjunction with Transport for London.  Just over two years on, the scheme has seen over 16 million hires and has over 140,000 registered customers and won numerous prestigious awards:

• 2010 The Mayor's Procurement awards - highly commended for recruitment
• 2010 UK Corporate Entrepreneur Awards
• 2010 London Cycling Campaign Best Facility Award: Barclays Cycle Hire
• 2011 Brit Insurance Design of the Year - Transport Award Winner
• 2010 Worshipful Company of Carmen Transport Environmental Award
• 2011 Infrastructure Prize the at the Institute of Civil Engineering awards for Most Innovative Transport Project
• 2011 Chartered Institute of Highways and Transport Innovation award
• 2011 National Transport Awards, prize for Innovation
• 2011 London Lifestyle Awards; prize for 'Green Contribution of the Year'
• 2011 National Outsourcing Awards for Excellence & Innovation

In early 2011 TfL awarded an expansion to the contract to Serco to support the scheme's expansion to East London, add new docking stations in West London and increase the number available in the existing area.

The contract expansion was in total valued at approximately £50m and will run until August 2015, in line with the existing £140m six-year contract awarded to Serco in August 2009.  User revenues from the scheme are paid direct to Transport for London.

Serco will be responsible for the design, installation and operation of the expanded scheme to Tower Hamlets.  Serco will build a number of new docking stations in West London surrounding the Westfield Shopping Centre as well as new docking stations and additional capacity at some existing sites in the current area of service.

The expansion will add over 200 new docking stations, approximately 4,500 new docking points, and approximately 2,300 new bikes into the scheme. On average around 35,000 customers use Barclays Cycle Hire each day and the scheme now has over 172,000 registered customers.

Serco has worked with TfL to make a number of developments to the service over the last year including: increasing the number of operational staff; introducing on-street maintenance for minor repairs to increase bike availability; securing storage facilities at Waterloo and King's Cross to replenish docking stations faster during peak periods; and, upgrading the software at payment terminals to improve transaction speeds and allow customers to undock bikes faster.

Serco are currently working with TfL on Phase 3 of the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme and are excited about having the opportunity in playing their part in extending the geographical scope of the Phase 1 and Phase 2  area westwards within the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth Council, London Borough of Lambeth and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and to increasing the number of Docking Stations, Docking Points and bicycles currently deployed within the current Phase 1 & 2  areas.

For more information about Barclays Cycle Hire and to become a registered member, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx.