CYCLISTS have been criticising biking schemes which are not being rolled out to Lewisham and Greenwich.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s cycle hire scheme has docking stations in central London but there are no plans to extend the scheme to either borough.

New superhighways, which allow people from outer London to cycle into central London, are also years away from being available in Lewisham and Greenwich.

A route from Lewisham to Victoria is not expected until October 2012, while a Woolwich to London Bridge highway could be another five years away.

London Assembly member for Greenwich and Lewisham, Len Duvall, said: “There is no reason why the positive outcomes of a cycle hire scheme could not be of benefit to the people of Greenwich and Lewisham.

“It’s just as important for them to breathe clean air and remain active as it is for any other Londoners.”

Meanwhile, 13 outer London boroughs are set to become 'biking boroughs', meaning they will receive extra cash and advice from Transport for London (TFL) to encourage more residents to cycle. Lewisham and Greenwich are not included.

Member of Greenwich Cyclists, Barry Mason, said: “It’s a real pity. There’s huge potential for cycling in Lewisham and Greenwich but no-one’s encouraging it.

“There’s lots of potentially good cycling routes but they need much better cycling lanes.”

Mr Johnson’s transport adviser Kulveer Ranger said: “The Mayor is committed to delivering a cycling revolution across the capital and encouraging people across London’s 33 boroughs to take to two wheels and make trips by bicycle wherever possible.

“TfL funding for local transport improvements has been simplified this year, giving boroughs greater freedom in choosing which local transport projects to support and we would encourage all boroughs to prioritise cycling.”