Boris bikes operator Serco warned over empty docks

The contractor running the Boris bikes scheme has been threatened with “significant” fines if it fails to improve the system.

Serco bosses have been warned by Transport for London they must “raise their game” after the Standard exposed serious issues with the distribution of the hire bikes.

An investigation found that many docking stations used by commuters were unusable for hours at a time because all the bikes had been hired out — or the racks were full and unable to receive returned cycles.

Serco was fined £5 million in June 2011 after thousands of users were sent incorrect bills. TfL today claimed “commercial confidentiality” prevented it revealing whether the firm had been issued with further fines.

The scheme, which was launched in July 2010 and is being expanded this year into Wandsworth and Hammersmith and Fulham, has up to 40,000 hires a day. Last month the Mayor doubled its hire charges to £2 a day or £90 a year to raise up to £5 million extra a year. Leon Daniels, TfL managing director of surface transport, said 83 docking stations were empty for more than six hours each day.

He said: “We understand the frustration of an empty docking station when you need it most. Londoners deserve better and we have already raised this issue with Serco. We have made it clear that they must raise their game or face significant financial penalties.”

Evening Standard investigation found cyclists complaining that the bikes couldn’t be relied on for commuting.

Serco is supposed to redistribute bikes across central London using its fleet of vehicles to avoid empty and full stations. However on average each station was empty for just under two hours a day, up 58 per cent in a year.

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Lib-Dem group on the London Assembly, said: “It is long overdue if TfL are finally insisting that Serco improve its record in running the bike hire scheme.”

A Serco spokesman said the scheme “continues to be a tremendous success” but admitted “at some docking stations at certain times demand for bicycles and docking points can exceed availability”. The company said it was working closely with TfL to address the issue.