E-bike firm Lime is calling for 10,000 new parking bays to be created across London, to tackle the issue of electric cycles being dumped on pavements.
Dockless electric bikes are available for hire across the capital, under popular schemes aimed at transforming the city’s transport system and cutting pollution.
But amid countless complaints about the vehicles blocking pavements, London’s largest rental e-bike firm says change is “now needed” and is calling for thousands of new bays that would restrict where users can park.
Lime launched in London four-and-a-half years ago, and more than 1.25 million people have since taken over 12 million trips on its bikes, while Lime says usage in the capital is growing by more than 10 per cent each month.
In the majority of London boroughs there are no designated parking bays, and users are instead urged to park Lime bikes “responsibly”, in public cycle racks or “neatly to the side”.
@limebike Dulwich Park gates College Rd SE21 this morning. NOT acceptable to anyone but the hirers who couldn’t care less. pic.twitter.com/k3sBulmVFH
— Bridget (@busbf11) June 30, 2023
But in a handful, including Camden, City of London, Hackney, Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham, users must leave Lime bikes in designated parking bays.
Others, such as Westminster, have negotiated various other regulations with Lime.
But a recent report by transport consultancy Steer found the borough-by-borough rules “creates confusion for riders with regards to where to park”.
Social media is rife with complaints about Lime bikes cluttering pavements and creating an “obstacle course” for residents, sometimes forcing wheelchair and pushchair users onto the road.
Steer has called for the schemes to be centrally regulated and for 10,000 dedicated e-bike parking spaces to be created across London by 2025, to meet demand and help tackle obstructive parking.
It said TfL and London councils should work with electric bike operators “to introduce a London-wide shared e-bike service with a standardised service area, user parking and riding rules”. “Users should be required to leave their bikes at designated parking locations across this area only,” it added.
Lime has said it supports this and is willing to help fund the spaces.
“We have agreements in place with over 10 councils to operate our services here, each with different parking rules in place,” said Hal Stevenson, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Lime, in a statement to the Standard.
“There is record demand for cycling in London, including Lime e-bikes. It is clear that a standardised, London-wide service with more dedicated shared e-bike parking locations across the capital is now needed to help simultaneously facilitate growing popularity, maintain convenience and ensure tidy parking.
“The recent recommendation for 10,000 parking spaces from transport consultancy, Steer, is one Lime endorses, and will now work with Transport for London and London councils to try deliver.”
At the end of a journey, all Lime users must take an ‘end-trip photo’ of their parked vehicle, with users warned and fined for obstructive parking.
But joyriders frequently flout the system by hacking into Lime bikes without paying or using the app, meaning they evade parking fines.
Lime has revealed new technology will be rolled out next month aimed at making it harder for its bikes to be hacked.
“We are addressing a limited issue related to bike theft and misuse,” said Mr Stevenson. “This is illegal and criminal behaviour, and we are working in partnership with the police to enforce against it.
“Lime has developed a long-term hardware fix to prevent further issues, and this will be rolled out across the fleet by the end of September.”
It came as Hounslow Council became the latest authority to complain to the Lime, urging the firm to “redouble” efforts to clamp down on “unsocial and unsafe use of their bikes”.
Deputy leader Cllr Katherine Dunne said: “It is clear that a small minority are behaving in an antisocial and inconsiderate manner by attempting to abuse the scheme, which is causing inconvenience and potential danger to Hounslow’s residents, visitors and businesses. This behaviour is clearly unacceptable and could result in police action.
“We have asked Lime to redouble their efforts to address unsocial and unsafe use of their bikes in Hounslow and Lime have agreed to commit more resource to tackling this issue.”
These are just a few photos that have been sent to the council and the support team at Lime bikes that we’re supposed to contact for help. No response. Tonight there are more bikes on the pavement. We can’t take it anymore. pic.twitter.com/wFSSri1gZj
— Health Hut (@LondonUK33) August 3, 2023
She urged residents to report issues including “abandoned bikes, suspected hacking attempts, noise and other operational issues” directly to Lime.
Lime says it is “proud to operate a successful service in partnership with [Hounslow] council to get more people out of cars and onto more sustainable transport options”.
TfL described the issue of e-bikes littering pavements as “concerning”, and said it is looking at creating “one coordinated future scheme” to manage electric bike and scooter rental schenes.
“Dockless e-bikes can play an important role in a green and sustainable future for London, however it is concerning to hear of instances where dockless bikes are left carelessly on roads and pavements causing real difficulties for visually impaired, blind and disabled Londoners,” said a TfL spokesperson.
“Dockless e-bike rental is currently unregulated and organised locally between individual e-bike operators and individual boroughs.
“We are working with the operators, London councils and London boroughs to explore the design of one coordinated future scheme to manage dockless e-bikes and e-scooters in London, ensuring these services work better for everybody by increasing their quality, safety and sustainability and improving parking facilities.”
