By Liv Messum
DMU student Simran Sandhu uses the Santander bicycles as a cheaper and healthier alternative to get around Leicester City.
Santander Cycles, informally known as ‘Boris bikes’ (after Prime Minister Boris Johnson who introduced them when he was Mayor of London), are a public bike hire service around many cities in the UK.
Simran said: “I go into the town centre often, so it’s way quicker and much more convenient for me to cycle between there and uni instead of walking.”
Simran, 19, loves staying active and exercises daily.
She said: “It’s the same as getting a train or a bus into town, but instead it’s cheaper and a lot better for you.”
Simran has a membership which allows her to gain full access to all bikes for £90 a year.
Without a membership, it costs £2 to access the bikes for 24 hours, and the first 30 minutes of each journey are free.
Journeys longer than half an hour cost £2 for each additional 30 minutes.
The operation of the Santander Cycle scheme is contracted by Transport for London, and there are many stops around Leicester City.
Anyone interested in Santander Cycles can download the app or visit https://rideonleicester.com.
