Follow-up to FOI-1033-1819 On the refund figures for 2016/17 and 2017/18, do you have a breakdown for how many £300 charges were refunded and how many were of the next highest-level charge, which I believe is around £90? Also do you know what percentage of appeals against charges are successful? On the spreadsheet of £300 fines, can you please explain what is meant by decommissioned? Also I see that there between number 725 and 739 on the list there was an unusual run of 15 people being charged £300 despite their bikes being found. Do you have any explanation for why that happened and why immediately afterwards the spreadsheet starts listing bikes as 'unaccounted for' rather than found or decommissioned? Finally, as a regular user of the scheme, I often see bikes parked up with a lit red light on the unlocking device. What exactly does this mean, how does it happen and what is the protocol for fixing the problem? Do you have an organised maintenance schedule or are problems just sorted ad hoc? And whose responsibility is it?

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Our Ref:         FOI-1356-1819

Thank you for your request received on 16 August 2018 asking for further information about the Santander Cycle Hire Scheme.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked:

1. On the refund figures for 2016/17 and 2017/18, do you have a breakdown for how many £300 charges were refunded and how many were of the next highest-level charge, which I believe is around £90?

Please find attached the number of £300 and £90 refunds which have been successful since the start of the JourneyCall contract (June 2017) when this information was collected. This shows that 417 refunds have been made at £300 and 142 refunds at £90.

2. Also do you know what percentage of appeals against charges are successful?

We do not hold information on the number of unsuccessful appeals.

3. On the spreadsheet of £300 fines, can you please explain what is meant by decommissioned?

When a bike has not been returned to the scheme within 14 days it is given the flag of ‘decommissioned’. Every three months a reconciliation is undertaken to review the number of replacement bikes required to operate the scheme. If the bike returns to the scheme it is automatically locked in to the docking point so it cannot be hired until it has been given a full service to ensure of its roadworthiness.

4. Also I see that there between number 725 and 739 on the list there was an unusual run of 15 people being charged £300 despite their bikes being found. Do you have any explanation for why that happened and why immediately afterwards the spreadsheet starts listing bikes as 'unaccounted for' rather than found or decommissioned?

Bikes remain in an ‘unaccounted for’ stage and unavailable for hire for 14 days before being classified as ‘decommissioned’. JourneyCall are in the process of decommissioning historic bikes which are shown as unaccounted for.

5. Finally, as a regular user of the scheme, I often see bikes parked up with a lit red light on the unlocking device. What exactly does this mean, how does it happen and what is the protocol for fixing the problem? Do you have an organised maintenance schedule or are problems just sorted ad hoc? And whose responsibility is it?

When a customer docks a bike they have the opportunity to press the fault button on the docking point. This locks the bike into the docking point (showing the red light). The bike is then assessed by the bike management service provider and assessed for any fault or damage. The bike remains unavailable for hire until the service provider has assessed it. If a fault is found the bike will either be fixed on street or returned to the bike depot for a full service. If no fault is found the bike is unlocked from the docking point and made available for hire.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
[email protected]

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