Overall 400 docking stations will be provided with 6000 bicycles. By means of an extensive promotional campaign with road shows and YouTube movies London residents have been prepared for the introduction. This resulted in 20,000 applications at the start of the project. By now the number has grown to well over 50,000.
The bicycles can be hired by means of a subscription or for single use. Casual users may pay by credit card at a terminal or by internet. The bicycles are intended for short trips, as rates increase steeply over time. One hour costs one pound, an hour and a half no less than four pounds. Returning bicycles late or not at all is expensive as well, up to 300 pounds.
A major sponsor of the project is the English Barclays Bank, providing some 25 million pounds over a five-year period. The deal also includes construction of several bicycle routes, as well as cycling lessons for Londoners still hesitant to venture into local traffic. The contribution to the bicycle routes will, among others, be recognised by an acknowledgement on signposts along the route. Barclays expects the system to generate some 40,000 trips daily.