Westminster City Council has begun seizing e-bikes from London’s various dockless share schemes which it says are being, “dumped across the city.” Operator Lime says it is proposing cross-operator measures to better manage e-bikes that are left in the borough.
In a statement explaining the council’s move, Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, said: “The council has begun seizing dockless bikes that we find blocking pavements and roads in Westminster.
“Trying to walk down some of our streets has become like attempting an obstacle course and we are fed up finding these bikes dumped across the city.
“Anyone in town this summer will see these cycles abandoned. It’s a nuisance and potentially dangerous, especially for those with disabilities.
“We’ve contacted the major dockless bike operators and made it clear that if they don’t remove their bikes from the pavement the council will – and we’ll charge them for doing so. Any money we raise will go towards improving cycling infrastructure on our streets.
“Westminster City Council is supportive of cycling and the many benefits it brings, particularly when it comes to cleaning up air quality. We want to find a solution that works for everyone but, in the meantime, people living and visiting Westminster shouldn’t have to put up with this every day.”
Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Lime countered that it had never deployed bikes in Westminster.
When this was questioned by the Westminster City Council press office Twitter account, Lime pointed out that the presence of the bikes was purely because people were keen to ride them into the borough.
We have not deployed these bikes. They have been ridden into Westminster by residents and visitors who are making green travel choices. We want to work with you to improve this situation and will be proposing cross-operator measures to more effectively managing e-bikes left here.
— Lime (@limebike) August 10, 2022
Commenting on inconsiderate parking of the bikes, Lime's senior public affairs manager, Hal Stevenson, said: “We are committed to working with WCC, other operators and wider stakeholders to resolve these issues, and will be putting forward a cross-operator package of measures aimed at more effectively managing e-bikes that have been left in the borough.
“If you ride Lime in London, please remember to park responsibly, and never leave a bike in a way that obstructs the pavement, or makes someone else's journey more difficult.”
E-bikes operated by Dott, Tier and HumanForest are also being seized by the council.
