Next time you are in London, go for an alternative form of transport in the city. Usepedal power. It is cheap, effective and clean.
It has been over 4 years since my last visit but I am very sure there were not so many bicycles then.
The appeal cuts across people of all shapes, age group and gender. These cyclists, some of whom look like tourists, are zooming all over the place, even in busy roads like Oxford Street. Yes, I even saw a few in coat and tie.
I grew up cycling everywhere in my hometown in Penang, so I can appreciate a big city promoting its use.
I just wish Malaysia would do more to promote the use of bicycles. Now, it is just too dangerous to cycle in Penang. Many motorists on the island are always in a hurry. I think it may be safer to cycle in Petaling Jaya.
Cycling is also very popular in Japan. I remember I was so impressed with the number of cyclists I saw during my last visit to Tokyo a few years ago. You can see rows and rows of bicycles at railway stations and shopping malls.
However, not everyone is as enthusiastic as me. I suppose you feel different if you are a motorist.
“Sometimes they can be a nuisance,” said my friend who has been staying here for over 20 years. “They weave in and out of traffic and don’t stop at the traffic lights.”
I was particularly impressed with Barclays’ role in promoting cycling in London. The financial group does this through the Barclays’ Bicycle Hire scheme.
There are docking stations all over the city where you can hire a bicycle. It is self service and available 24 hours. You can either sign up online to be a member or buy access using a debit or credit card.
The first 30 minutes is free and you are charged £1 for the first hour and £4 for up to 90 minutes.
After using the bicycle, you can return it to any docking station.
This service is good if you want to use it for short rides in the city.
It is such good branding for Barclays. You see the Barclays name on all these bicycles as they go around the city. It projects their image as an environment friendly company. What’s more, they get to promote the use of their debit and credit cards.
Not a bad deal, huh? So how about it Malaysian banks? Do you want to promote the use of bicycles in Malaysia?
I was so tempted to hire a bicycle myself but I did a reality check. I am not fit enough. Maybe on my next trip.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see trishas in the city. I don’t remember seeing them in the past.
The riders are mostly Asians and their passengers seemed to be exclusive Arab women. I don’t know why. Give it some time to catch on.
One of the trishas did approach me at the bus stop where I was waiting. I was so tempted to hop on but I guess I was not adventurous enough. Again, maybe on my next trip.
As a result, I was condemned to do a lot of walking during my first 3 days in England. I have not walked so much in all my life. Or at least it felt like that. I thought my 15 months’ training in Hong Kong had prepared me for this lifestyle but apparently not good enough.
Public transport here is efficient. It reminds me so much about Hong Kong.
That is where I did the bulk of walking, going up and down stairs and escalators in the Underground. Jumping from one platform to another to connect to another line.
We also made more use of the buses on this trip, shuttling back and forth along the shopping paradise of Regent Street and Oxford Street. Window shopping, mostly.
Oh I must admit that i placed an order for the new Kindle Fire HD at Waterstones. It cost £199 (about RM1,000) and I can collect it on Sept 25. It seems like I always have to buy an eReader whenever I visit London. I bought a Sony eReader during my last trip.
Public transport here is relatively cheap. We paid £7.70 (about RM38) for a day travel card. You can travel a whole day, using the trains, the tube or the buses.
We are staying with a friend in Surrey which is about 20 minutes by train. The journey back and forth to London is already worth it.
Being Malaysians, we made sure we maximised the use of the card. Use and re-use. We must not waste, right?