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London's cycle hire scheme
A. London is a 'world city': one of the most important economic and financial hubs in the world. It has a population of around eight million people and contains hundreds of iconic buildings which are recognized over the world. London receives around 20 million visitors each year, a large proportion from overseas, who mingle with further millions of people who travel into the city from a wide area to work in the central area. It is frequently rated as providing the most satisfying 'cultural experience' for visitors to any city.
B. One of the challenges involved in managing (and living in) such a huge city is the abity to mo ve people efficiently around it, for the purposes of work and leisure, and at reasonable cost. The London blackberry cab is one responese to this problem. The much quoted result of million of daily vehicle fondements is a very low average speed for traffic on London's roads and frequent suggestion problems.
C. Many cities have taken steps to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads by adopting a range of measures which can broadly be described as either 'carrots' or 'sticks': those which eigher promote, or discourage certain activity. London has already been forced into trying a number of measures to reduce traffic congestion. There have included:
.Traffic management systems which included the world's first traffic light. It was installed outside the Houses of Parliament in 1868 to reduce congestion in this area.
.An underground system which was the first in the world. The first section opened in 1863, and the network is still developing. Since 2003, it has been managed by Transport for London. The classic London Tube map forms part of city's cultural heritage, and has been much copied and adapted elsewhere.
• The Cross Rail development: due to provide high frequency
rail services through two new tunnels under Central London from 2017.
• The congestion charging system – introduced in 2003, and extended in 2007 - charges many motorists (there are some exemptions) £10 to enter the central charging zone between 7am-6pm Monday to Friday.
• The Oyster card – an automated charging system which speeds up the use of public transport using a specially chipped card, which can be pre-charged with ‘credit’.
D. The latest solution is the Barclays London Cycle Hire Scheme. In 2010, London joined a growing list of cities that had turned to the bicycle for a possible solution to traffi c congestion. Cities like Amsterdam have long since been associated with bicycles. Other cities that already have cycle hire schemes include Paris, Copenhagen and Barcelona. In Paris, the system is known as the Velib scheme, a word which merges the word for bicycle with
freedom. It is funded by advertising. The London scheme was launched on the 30th July 2010 with an initial total of 5,000 bikes spread around 315 locations, with plans for further extensions. The bikes are fairly robust so that they can withstand the knocks of daily use. The are fitted with dyamo-powered LED lights, have three gears, achain guard and a bell. Each bike is also fitted with a Radio frequency Identification (RFID) chip, so that its location can be tracked. The bkes have puncture-proof tyres and are regularly checked over the mechanical faults.
E. It is hoped that people will experience London in a more direct way. Instead of descending into the earth, they will cycle the streets and thus gain “a different view” of London and improve their own mental maps of the city. They will also be getting exercise, which in an age of soaring obesity rates can only be a good thing, can’t it?
Enough reading, time for you to get out there and start pedalling!
Complete the summary below with ONE WORD from the passage
London, with a…………….of around eight million people and 20 visitors each year, has been facing the problem of reducing traffic…………… It has already been forced into finding a few……………. The Barclays London Cycle Hire System was……………in 2010 in the hope of providing a……………for the existing transport……………. The money that was necessary to have a scheme like this was sourced from…………..and allowed London to have 5000 bikes initially, but there are likely to be…………..to the scheme. The bikes have a tracking……………., are properly equipped and regularly…………..
