Santander Cycles App Outage Prevents Riders from Hiring Bikes Across London

Thousands of riders across the capital were left unable to hire bikes on Wednesday after a technical fault disrupted the Santander Cycles app.

Users reported being unable to unlock bicycles from docking stations through the app, bringing journeys to a halt during the morning period. The issue affected riders across multiple parts of London and prompted frustration among commuters who rely on the scheme for daily travel.

Transport for London confirmed that the service was later restored and apologised for the disruption. The transport authority said the problem stemmed from an unsuccessful system update carried out by telecoms provider O2, which impacted the connectivity required for unlocking bikes.

An O2 spokesperson said the company acted quickly once the network issue was identified and fully restored services early in the afternoon. Customers affected by the outage were offered an apology for the inconvenience caused.

TfL first acknowledged the disruption through a notice on its website earlier in the day, advising customers to check the app and official Santander Cycles web pages for updates. While the docking infrastructure remained in place, riders using the app were unable to release bikes until systems were brought back online.

The Santander Cycles scheme includes more than 12,000 bicycles and around 800 docking stations spread across London. It is widely used by commuters, tourists, and residents for short journeys, particularly in central areas and business districts.

This is not the first time the scheme has faced technical problems. A similar disruption occurred last August when a planned software upgrade overran, preventing customers from hiring both standard bikes and electric models. Previous complaints about the app have included repeated logouts, payment storage failures, and unexpected crashes.

TfL has previously said it plans to introduce a new and improved version of the Santander Cycles app later this year. The upgrade is intended to improve reliability, streamline payments, and enhance user experience. Wednesday’s outage is likely to intensify scrutiny of the platform’s resilience, particularly given the scheme’s role in London’s broader sustainable transport strategy.

Despite the temporary disruption, TfL said the system is now operating normally. Riders were encouraged to ensure their app was updated and to check service notifications before setting out.