Lime and Forest have been sent more than £30,000 in penalty fines under the latest crackdown on abandoned e-bikes in London.
Transport for London has issued hundreds of £100 penalty tickets to the two main operators of dockless e-bikes in the capital after ending a “grace period” when only warning letters were sent.
By May 15, a total of 333 penalties had been issued – with a total “face value” of £33,300, though the cost is reduced to £50 if paid within a fortnight.
This follows TfL’s decision in November last year to sent out a new enforcement policy for dockless bikes parked or abandoned on the capital’s network of Red Routes – the main arterial routes through London.
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.”
TfL uses CCTV to gather evidence of e-bikes obstructing the road or pavement. Photos are sent to the firms, urging them to move the offending bikes.
Mr Lord, in an update to the TfL board, said TfL was seeking to “positively engage with operators about these matters”.
The details of the TfL crackdown emerged as a third e-bike hire firm, Voi, said London should follow Paris and introduce a city-wide set of rules on dockless bikes.
This has been promised for more than a year but TfL and the 33 boroughs have yet to announce details – meaning that each borough can set its own rules on the number of e-bikes on the streets, and what operators are required to do to tackle badly-parked bikes.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, in a written answer to London Assembly member Joanne McCartney last week, said: “Dockless rental e-bikes are an important part of London’s transport network, helping people get around sustainably and connecting them to other transport modes.
“However, poor parking of the vehicles can cause significant safety issues and impact the accessibility of our streets.”
Sir Sadiq said 190 warning letters were issued before fines were sent out. “As of May 15, TfL has issued 333 FPNs (fixed penalty notices0 to both Forest and Lime,” the mayor said.
Last week, Lime and Voi both won contracts to provide 6,000 hire bikes in Paris.
Voi, which recently has set up pilot e-bike schemes in west London, said the lack of regulations in London left the capital “falling behind in the micromobility revolution sweeping across Europe”.
It called for a pan-London tender to be issued for three firms to operate in London under the same city-wide rules.
James Bolton, Voi’s UK general manager, said: “Paris should act as a blueprint for other cities across Europe, specifically London, on how to design an e-bike scheme which works for riders and non-riders alike.
“By selecting three operators, the city has encouraged operators to keep e-bikes affordable while delivering the best service possible, leading to innovation in safety, accessibility and parking compliance.
“We’re calling on the government, Transport for London and local authorities to act swiftly and decisively to introduce a similar contract to unlock the full potential of e-bikes in London.
“In the meantime, Voi continues to improve our small-scale e-bike pilot in boroughs like Ealing and Southwark to prove that a new, responsible approach to e-bikes is possible in London. We are working closely with boroughs to meet the demand for e-bikes while keeping streets clutter-free.”
A Lime spokesperson 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, said: "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.”
