How Much Does Each Ride On The Silvertown Cycle Shuttle Cost Taxpayers?
This post was suggested by an article in the Daily Express, which was picked up by one of my Google Alerts.
Google AI gave me this answer.
The Silvertown Cycle Shuttle costs taxpayers between £43 and over £100 per passenger ride, depending on fluctuating daily usage data.
Because the zero-emission shuttle is a free service, the entirety of its operational funding is subsidized by Transport for London (TfL).
Cost Breakdown
According to official figures scrutinized by the Greater London Authority and London Assembly members, the service features the following financial profile:
Total Annual Cost: Approximately £2 million per year (£1,967,010 contractual cost).
Daily Running Cost: Roughly £5,400 per day to operate the buses on a continuous 12-minute frequency.
Average Cost Per Ride (£43): Calculated when the shuttle sees a typical baseline demand of 100 to 130 cyclists per day.
Peak Cost Per Ride (£100+): Triggered during low-demand periods, such as select winter weeks when numbers plummeted to just 51 cyclists per day.
Context of the Subsidy
The shuttle service was launched to provide a river-crossing alternative because bicycles are strictly prohibited from riding through the motor-vehicle-only Silvertown Tunnel.
Despite ongoing criticisms from assembly members regarding low passenger turnout and value for money, TfL is legally required by a Department for Transport Development Consent Order to maintain the service until at least 2028. To maximize utility, TfL has explored opening the shuttle to pedestrians.
Conclusion
This post shows how easy it is to use AI to check a fact and then post it.
Hopefully, as more people get familiar with simple AI systems, governments around the world will be called to account.
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