Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the new cycle hire
scheme reaching a 62000 mile milestone since its launch in November.
There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the bikes, with over
10,400 active users.

The city's taxpaying residents, rather than cycling groups or cyclists,
have stumped up £17m for the rental scheme. Burnham admitted feeling
nervous about the scheme and 'hoped' that people wouldn't lump the bikes
'into the canal'.

Using these figures, it can be seen that the journeys average out at 1.6
miles, at a cost of £435 each. It might have been cheaper to provide a
fleet of stretch limousines instead.

There was no mention of the income generated, or the number of missing
bicycles.

You did not read this story on <road.cc>

--
Spike

On 15/04/2022 09:34 am, Spike wrote:
>
> Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the new fairy-cycle hire
> scheme reaching a 62000 mile milestone since its launch in November.
> There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the fairy-bikes, with over
> 10,400 active users.
>
> The city's taxpaying residents, rather than fairy-cycling groups or fairy-cyclists,
> have stumped up £17m for the rental scheme. Burnham admitted feeling
> nervous about the scheme and 'hoped' that people wouldn't lump the fairy-bikes
> 'into the canal'.
>
> Using these figures, it can be seen that the journeys average out at 1.6
> miles, at a cost of £435 each. It might have been cheaper to provide a
> fleet of stretch limousines instead.
>
> There was no mention of the income generated, or the number of missing
> fairy-bicycles.
>
> You did not read this story on <road.cc>

{FX: low whistle>

I wonder how long it will take before the average cost to the taxpayer
falls to less than £271 per fairy-cycled mile?

On 15/04/2022 14:18, JNugent wrote:
> On 15/04/2022 09:34 am, Spike wrote:

>> Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the new fairy-cycle hire
>> scheme reaching a 62000 mile milestone since its launch in November.
>> There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the fairy-bikes, with over
>> 10,400 active users.

>> The city's taxpaying residents, rather than fairy-cycling groups or fairy-cyclists,
>> have stumped up £17m for the rental scheme. Burnham admitted feeling
>> nervous about the scheme and 'hoped' that people wouldn't lump the fairy-bikes
>> 'into the canal'.

>> Using these figures, it can be seen that the journeys average out at 1.6
>> miles, at a cost of £435 each. It might have been cheaper to provide a
>> fleet of stretch limousines instead.

>> There was no mention of the income generated, or the number of missing
>> fairy-bicycles.

>> You did not read this story on <road.cc>

> {FX: low whistle>

> I wonder how long it will take before the average cost to the taxpayer
> falls to less than £271 per fairy-cycled mile?

Who knows? Who cares? Cyclists certainly don't...

--
Spike

On 15/04/2022 14:18, JNugent wrote:
> On 15/04/2022 09:34 am, Spike wrote:

>> Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the new fairy-cycle hire
>> scheme reaching a 62000 mile milestone since its launch in November.
>> There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the fairy-bikes, with over
>> 10,400 active users.

>> The city's taxpaying residents, rather than fairy-cycling groups or fairy-cyclists,
>> have stumped up £17m for the rental scheme. Burnham admitted feeling
>> nervous about the scheme and 'hoped' that people wouldn't lump the fairy-bikes
>> 'into the canal'.

>> Using these figures, it can be seen that the journeys average out at 1.6
>> miles, at a cost of £435 each. It might have been cheaper to provide a
>> fleet of stretch limousines instead.

>> There was no mention of the income generated, or the number of missing
>> fairy-bicycles.

>> You did not read this story on <road.cc>

> {FX: low whistle>

> I wonder how long it will take before the average cost to the taxpayer
> falls to less than £271 per fairy-cycled mile?

AND! That's only 3.75 journeys per user, in the five(?) months the
scheme has been running!

Was it worth it?

--
Spike

On 16/04/2022 11:29 am, Spike wrote:
> On 15/04/2022 14:18, JNugent wrote:
>> On 15/04/2022 09:34 am, Spike wrote:
>
>>> Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has welcomed the new fairy-cycle hire
>>> scheme reaching a 62000 mile milestone since its launch in November.
>>> There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the fairy-bikes, with over
>>> 10,400 active users.
>
>>> The city's taxpaying residents, rather than fairy-cycling groups or fairy-cyclists,
>>> have stumped up £17m for the rental scheme. Burnham admitted feeling
>>> nervous about the scheme and 'hoped' that people wouldn't lump the fairy-bikes
>>> 'into the canal'.
>
>>> Using these figures, it can be seen that the journeys average out at 1.6
>>> miles, at a cost of £435 each. It might have been cheaper to provide a
>>> fleet of stretch limousines instead.
>
>>> There was no mention of the income generated, or the number of missing
>>> fairy-bicycles.
>
>>> You did not read this story on <road.cc>
>
>> {FX: low whistle>
>
>> I wonder how long it will take before the average cost to the taxpayer
>> falls to less than £271 per fairy-cycled mile?
>
> AND! That's only 3.75 journeys per user, in the five(?) months the
> scheme has been running!
>
> Was it worth it?

Of course not.

But hey... it's an Andy Burnham initiative. And it involves fairy-cycling.

Don't expect it to make sense. It doesn't have to. It wasn't designed to.