TfL funds £21,000 bike plan to get residents back in the saddle

A London council is giving out a fleet of bicycles worth £21,000 in a 30-day trial to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

At the end of the project the cycles will then be offered to participants at a cut-down price, so long as they have used them for at least half of their journeys.

About 60 bikes, worth more than £350 each, will be loaned out as part of the project. Organisers hope it will help people get fit, save money and benefit the environment. The scheme, funded by Transport for London, is open to residents of the Butts Farm estate as well as parents, children and teachers at a local school and workers on two nearby industrial estates.

Participants will receive a bike, helmet, lights and panniers. They will also be offered cycle confidence training, taught about bike maintenance and given advice on safe routes.

Peter Thompson, leader of Hounslow council, said cycling was an excellent way to make the city greener. He said: "I hope lots of people in Butts Farm will rise to the challenge and help us encourage more people to take up cycling."