London, Oct 8 (IANS): Cycle hires in London have hit a new record, with over 1.2 million people choosing pedal power in September alone, Transport for London (TfL) announced.

In a statement on Thursday, TfL said its flagship cycle hire scheme continued to go from strength for strength with the highest September hires in its 11-year history, as increasing numbers of Londoners returned to their offices as the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, reports Xinhua news agency.

There were 1,219,804 hires during September, an average of 40,660 daily hires, well above the 37,917 average daily hires in September last year and higher than the average daily hires prior to the pandemic.

Last month, TfL saw the highest volume of Santander Cycles commuter hires since March 2020, with an average 7,573 daily hires made between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Will Norman, London's walking and cycling commissioner, said the record September hires echoes the wider trend of more residents choosing to cycle as the British capital is introducing electric cycles to the network and expanding the scheme to new areas.

Since May 2020, more than 100 km of new or upgraded cycle lanes have been built or are under construction in the city.

TfL data showed that cycling during the pandemic has increased by 22 per cent in Outer London compared to spring 2019, with a 7 per cent rise in Inner London.