Actress and author Dame Joan Collins has lashed out at the “loutish” users of dockless e-bikes in London.
The 92-year-old former Dynasty star took to Instagram with a scathing post after coming face to face with dozens of abandoned Lime Bikes.
She captioned the picture: “#shocked about the #loutish behavior of @lime #bicycle users #pavementsareforpedestrians #limebike”.
Journalist Harriet Arkell replied the problem was “even worse on High Street Kensington”.
Another user responded: “Absolutely disgusting, they’re everywhere and dumped. Disgraceful.”
A third said: “Unbelievably selfish, I agree.
“These ill-mannered bike riders are not people you want to share a city with.
“They have an amazing sense of their own importance and entitlement. So easy to regulate them.”
Last week the Standard revealed Lime and Forest, the capital’s two main operators cycle hire companies, have been sent more than £30,000 in penalty fines under Transport for London’s latest crackdown on e-bikes that had been dumped and left blocking pavements.
TfL uses CCTV to gather evidence of e-bikes obstructing roads.
Photos are sent to the firms, urging them to move the offending bikes.
TfL commissioner Andy Lord said: “Since January, we have been actively addressing the issue of e-bikes abandoned on the highway through Operation Clearway.
“Our officers have been stationed at key hotspots across London to identify and report such cases.”
Where can you park an e-bike in London?
For the TfL Santander bikes, there are docks where you have to return your bike to.
At present, dockless e-bike rental is unregulated in the UK and Transport for London has no powers to take action.
Bike hire firms ask their customers to park their bikes in a responsible way that doesn’t block pavements or access.
Lime requires its users to park in a certain way or inside a parking bay — which is mandatory in London boroughs: Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hounslow, Camden, Hackney, City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Lewisham and Lambeth.
“Depending on where you end your trip in London, you’ll either need to park your Lime in a parking bay, bike rack or neatly to the side of the pavement,” its guidance states.
Forest also has rules along similar lines.
Find out more about the rules for e-bikes in London.
A Lime spokesman said: “We take the issue of poor parking very seriously and we’re working closely with TfL to help keep London’s streets accessible for everyone.
“Through our London action plan, we’re already investing £5 million this year to create more than 2,500 dedicated parking spaces in support of the mayor’s goal of delivering 40,000 new bike parking spaces by the next election.
“Building dedicated e-bike parking bays on TfL land is key to ensuring cycling demand and convenience is maintained in the long term, while also keeping streets tidy. We will continue to share data and contribute the funding needed to deliver them.”
Will Jansen, Forest’s chief operating officer, added: “Dockless e-bikes are transforming the way Londoners get around - offering an affordable, sustainable, and convenient way to travel across the capital.
“As demand continues to grow, we are working closely with TfL to improve parking compliance and ensure the benefits of dockless e-bikes reach every corner of London.
“We’ve introduced no parking zones in sensitive areas - including TfL-managed red routes – and continue to enhance our 24/7 operations and in-app AI, which reviews end-of-ride photos to reduce poorly parked bikes. We recognise there is more work to do and remain committed to raising standards across the board.
“We look forward to building on our partnerships with Government, TfL, and boroughs to meet growing demand for e-bikes in a way that keeps our streets tidy.”
