DEVELOP3D - Technology for the product lifecycle

I was in London on Friday and stumbled across the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme whilst walking from Euston Square towards Covent Garden. Not living in the capital, this line-up up of about 20 or so identical bicycles took me quite by surprise and I immediately took a photo (above). When I googled it later I soon realised that it has been in discussion for quite some time but Friday was the official launch date. According to Transport for London, more than 14,250 journeys were made this weekend alone and over 21,000 members have now signed up to join the scheme. I think it’s a great idea - get people out of the sweaty tubes and into the open air (although how fresh the air is in the centre of London is negligible).

The scheme is intended for short journeys - essentially, help yourself to a bike from a docking station, ride it where you like, then return it to another station ready for the next person. Although the weekend posed a few teething problems in terms of software and technical issues, ultimately it was a success and London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, had this to say: “Just three days into our cycle hire scheme we are seeing Londoners embracing the freedom of pedal power and are signing up in their droves. With every new day, these gleaming machines are transforming our streets and are putting us well on our way to becoming the best big cycling city in the world.” Once the scheme is fully installed, 6,000 cycles will be available at 400 locations across Zone 1.

Other green transport initiatives recently launched in the capital include the New Bus for London. Based on the much-loved red Routemaster, this new design will use the greenest hybrid technology making it 15 per cent more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses. Using lightweight materials and incorporating interesting features, the design certainly looks rather futuristic. In fact, Wrightbus and Transport for London have been working with renowned design agency Heatherwick Studio as a collaborative design partner taking the lead on the styling of the bus to support Wrightbus in the design and development process. Wrightbus engineers are currently working on a static mock-up of the bus to be complete later this year with the first prototype to be delivered late next year, in time for them to enter service from early 2012. As Johnson said when the design was unveiled, “This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful, but also has a green heart beating beneath its stylish, swooshing exterior.”

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