A London borough could ban e-bikes unless safety concerns and improvements are addressed.
Brent Council has issued a stern warning to e-bike provider Lime over safety woes stating that it must remove its dockless e-bikes from the borough by October 31 or could face a ban.
The warning comes after Lime has reportedly continuously ignored the council's safety concerns and suggestions for improvements to the scheme.
The local authority partnered with Lime in 2019 and currently hosts 750 e-bikes in the borough.
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E-bikes were rolled out in 2019
PAHowever, despite supporting more sustainable ways of travelling the council flagged how e-bikes also come with significant safety concerns, which Lime has notaddressed to the council’s satisfaction.
One of the main issues involves the increasing number of incidents caused by the bikes being parked and abandoned on pavements.
Councillor Muhammed Butt said: “Lime bikes left scattered across our streets are causing havoc for other road users, especially for pedestrians and disabled people. Residents have gone sour on Lime and the council is receiving repeated, regular complaints about the bikes left across paths and roads in a haphazard way.
“This is putting unsustainable pressure on council staff who are spending time cleaning up after Lime. Something needs to change as the current situation is unsustainable and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.”
The council revealed that it has written to Lime proposing several changes to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the scheme in Brent.
Some of the changes include the introduction of dedicated e-bike parking bays which would ensure e-bikes are parked safely in cordoned-off areas.
Another change is to roll out a “no parking zone” which would be introduced in all other areas of the borough with any e-bikes left in this zone removed by Lime in an agreed timeframe.
This would also support a new London-wide e-mobility contract which is being developed by Transport for London, London Councils and boroughs to make the usage of e-bikes and e-scooters safer.
The proposal is expected to launch in 2026, with a key element of the scheme arequirement to provide “dedicated,” controlled parking for rental e-bikes and e-scooters.
Brent said it has also requested that Lime increases penalties for users who fail to leave their e-bikes in the correct location.
This would be an increase from the current fine which is set at £10 which the council warned is not enough to provide an “adequate deterrent”.
Butt added: “To date, Lime has not satisfied our proposals, which we consider vital to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the scheme in Brent.”
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The council asked Lime to install a dedicated parking area for e-bikes
GETTYHe commented: “Unless Lime changes the way it works with us, we are out of road for its activities in Brent. It’s high time Lime takes responsibility for its service and users. We want Lime to take ours and residents’ concerns seriously and amend its operating model to account for the common-sense asks we have made.”
A Lime spokesperson told GB News: "We are proud to have run a successful shared e-bike service in Brent for the last six years, with tens of thousands of local residents now using Lime to make essential journeys in the borough. We understand the critical importance of maintaining a safe service and avoiding pavement obstructions and are committed to working with the council to deliver the required improvements to extend our operations here.
"It is possible to move to a mandatory parking model in Brent, but the council needs to install a sufficient number of parking locations for people to park at. We need these locations in order to maintain a tidy and easy to use service that can continue to contribute to the council’s active travel goals. We can support this process by providing trip data and infrastructure funding."