On the narrow streets of Soho, the bright, bulky silhouettes of London’s many hire-scheme bikes are visible on every turn – parked freestanding on roadsides, in docking stations, whizzing past slow-moving traffic and (a particular bugbear for many Londoners) lying horizontal across pavements, sometimes in piles.
The proliferating schemes – the biggest of which include Transport for London’s (TfL) Santander Cycles, founded in 2010, and relative newcomers Lime, HumanForest, Dott and Tier – are undoubtedly popular. Usage of hire bikes appear to be at record levels, with the summer months expected to further increase popularity, and easy access to electric bikes have transformed the lives of many.
But as the rival companies battle it out for dominance on the streets of the capital, and in cities around the country, they are also wreaking havoc for local authorities. While TfL’s scheme has designated docking stations where bikes have to be left to end a journey, app-operated e-bikes can be left freestanding wherever the rider’s journey ends – and for some people that means leaving it in the middle of a pavement.
Westminster council, which receives daily complaints about abandoned bikes on pavements, has started seizing cycles that pose an “imminent risk to public safety”.
Last week the councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, a cabinet member for city management, met e-bike operators to look at potential parking bays. “While the majority of users park their bikes responsibly, unfortunately many dockless bikes are simply dumped in the middle of the pavement all over Westminster. This is a safety hazard, particularly for people with disabilities or those who are partially sighted,” he said.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “Dockless rental e-bikes are extremely popular but it is concerning to hear of instances where dockless bikes are left carelessly and recklessly on roads and pavements causing real difficulties for visually impaired and blind Londoners. We urge users to park them considerately.”
Issues with hire bikes are not just a London phenomenon. Voi pulled its e-bikes out of Peterborough in January due to persistent vandalism of its cycles, while in Manchester, mayor Andy Burnham resorted to pleading with residents to stop throwing the city’s hire bikes into canals.
Cities do not have the power to regulate rental bike providers, Norman said, and he called for the government to introduce legislation that would enable them to “ensure providers behave responsibly, and all road users feel safe”.
The Department for Transport, the Observer understands, is planning to introduce new legislation that would allow local authorities to manage rental schemes and enforce on issues such as parking.
In Soho’s Berwick Street on Friday, student Ilyas Omar, 20, a regular user, said bikes piled up on the pavement are “taking away from the aesthetic of the street”. But, he added: “Unless you get a docking station for them there’s nothing you can do.”
Walking down the street with their baby in a stroller,
Vinay, an entrepreneur, and his wife, Gopika, who works in consulting, both 31, said the bikes were a “menace” for buggies. The people who use them, Gopika said, “don’t tend to drive very responsibly … parking in the middle of the road, middle of the pavement, not stopping”.
But many love the rental cycles, especially e-bikes – particularly younger people. A teenager hopping on a bike at Tottenham Court Road station said he uses them every single time he comes to central London.
London TravelWatch said while hire bikes offer a convenient and relatively cheap way to get round London, it is vital they are used responsibly:
“When awarding licences to hire companies, the authorities should look to include provision for secure docking as a condition,” a spokesperson said. “Disabled people, especially wheelchair users, guide dog owners and cane users, must be able to use all walkways unobstructed.”
Tier said it “works hard to encourage the right behaviour and fix issues quickly”. Dott said users can only leave bikes in suitable parking spaces. A spokesperson added: “If any bad parking is reported, we have street teams available and working to go and rectify these.”
Lime, which operates in London, Salford, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Derby, said its users “receive ongoing education in-app on how to park their bike safely and considerately at the end of their journey. They are also required to take an ‘end-trip photo’ of how they park. These photos are reviewed, with users warned and fined for mis-parking.”
It added that it works in partnership with councils across London “to deliver a safe, affordable and tidy e-bike rental scheme”.
HumanForest said it works with local authorities to establish parking spaces “in suitable places to encourage appropriate parking”. The firm “constantly monitors” poorly parked bikes, relocating them when reported, and punishes repeat offences.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Local authorities already have powers to remove e-cycles from pavements where they are causing an obstruction and are responsible for working with rental operators to keep pavements clear where possible.”
