Transport for London (TfL) and Santander are making significant improvements to the Santander Cycles scheme by doubling the day pass ride time and reducing the price of hiring an e-bike. The changes will help to make cycling more accessible to Londoners and tourists and provide them with affordable and green methods of travelling across the capital. Lack of access to a bike is a key barrier that stops people cycling and Santander Cycles is helping to eliminate this hurdle by boosting sustainable transport options for people.

Following feedback from Santander Cycles users, customers indicated the changes would encourage more people to try the scheme and is a more economical way to use the service. The new Day Pass option will provide an unlimited number of one-hour rides over a 24-hour period. This is double the 30-minute option previously offered and will cost £3.50. The new cost provides better value for money for many customers as they will now be able to enjoy an uninterrupted hour of cycling for only 50p more as many times as they like in the day. TfL is also reducing the price of a single 30-minute e-bike ride from £3.30 to £3. The e-bike single ride price is cheaper than any other operator in London*. The e-bikes have been hugely popular since their introduction, and these changes will encourage even more people to enjoy London by bike.

TfL is committed to offering the best deal possible to customers, and the cost of annual and monthly subscriptions will be frozen, at £120 per year for an annual pass and £20 per month for a monthly pass.

These improvements follow the expansion of Santander Cycles’ hugely popular e-bike fleet. TfL has more than tripled the number of e-bikes since July 2024 and there are now more than 2,000 e-bikes in the capital, enabling even more Londoners to enjoy the benefits that cycling can bring, from improved health to cleaner air. Planned investment in cycle hire, which includes the opening of new cycle docking stations at St. Pancras Way in Camden, the Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Park, and at the soon to be reopened Stonecutter Street station in the City of London, will ensure the scheme continues to grow and will encourage even more Londoners to cycle by improving accessibility. Customers can access Santander Cycles at over 800 docking stations across a large area of central and inner London.

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “Enabling more people to cycle improves health, cuts congestion and helps the environment – so it’s key to the Mayor’s vision for transport.

“Doubling the day pass journey time from 30 minutes to an hour is great news for Londoners and will make cycling even more accessible. This change will enable people to travel even more easily around London, by having to dock less often, encouraging more people to use Santander Cycles and helping us to build a better, greener and fairer London for all.”

David Eddington, Head of Cycle Hire at TfL, said: “Santander Cycles has shown it is a vital part of London’s transport system and is used by tens of thousands of Londoners and tourists every day.

“We want to ensure that these tariff changes provide even more Londoners with an affordable and sustainable way to get around the capital and that Santander Cycles will provide even better value for money and remain accessible for all.

“Our continued expansion of the scheme’s fleet, alongside our new tariff, will guarantee the future success of the scheme as an integral part to London’s green and healthy future.”