A central London council has seized more than 2,500 e-bikes since it began a crackdown on badly parked dockless cycles.
Kensington and Chelsea council has slapped operators with £210,000 in fines, storage and release fees since the town hall began its enforcement action in January 2025.
So far in 2026, local authority officers have confiscated more than 1,200 rental bikes that were “causing immediate danger or significant obstruction”.
This is on top of the 1,315 removed after being abandoned on pavements and residential streets last year.
Lime was the biggest offender, with 1,624 of its bikes impounded, followed by Forest (787), Voi (61) and Bolt (44).
The total fees charged to each firm to date are £143,890 to Lime, £58,017.35 to Forest, £4,560 to Voi and £3,630 to Bolt.
Tory councillor Johnny Thalassites, lead member for enforcement, said: “Rental e-bikes have an important role to play in helping Londoners get around, but that cannot come at the expense of safe, accessible streets.
“Our officers have done a fantastic job in removing 2,500 e-bikes, and it sends a very clear message – park in a bay, or we’ll take it away.
“If bikes are dumped across pavements, blocking crossings or creating a danger for residents and road users, we will take action.
“We also need operators to do their bit by clearing obstructions quickly, covering the cost when we have to intervene, and doing more to encourage considerate rider behaviour.”
Kensington and Chelsea is the latest council to impound the bikes and charge the firms to get them back – raising income for other enforcement action.
Firms pay a one-off “seizure fee” plus a daily storage charge if the bikes are not collected within 14 days.
Hotspots for badly parked or abandoned bikes include near Harrods in Knightsbridge.
There are 245 rental e-bike parking spaces in the borough, with 185 marked bays and 60 virtual bays visible via provider apps.
Currently there are believed to be at least 50,000 dockless e-bikes available for hire around the city, with firms subject to different rules and restrictions in each borough.
Government legislation that will give TfL the power to introduce a capital-wide licensing system for dockless e-bikes was passed in April.
The English Devolution Bill grants TfL powers to standardise the rules across all 33 boroughs, but new rules are unlikely to come into effect until next year at the earliest.
