Brent Council delivers ultimatum to Lime over badly parked and abandoned e-bikes: 'Respond to our requests or remove your bikes from the borough by October 31st'

 

Lime bikes outside St Andrew's Church, Kingsbury

Brent Council Press Release

Lime has been notified that it must remove its dockless e-bikes from Brent by 31 October if it continues to ignore Brent Council's safety concerns and suggestions for improvements to the scheme.

Brent has partnered with Lime since 2019 and currently hosts 750 e-bikes in the borough as part of its commitment to promoting sustainable and active travel and reducing pollution.

While the partnership has supported this ambition, e-bikes have also come with significant safety concerns, which Lime has not currently addressed to the council’s satisfaction.

Of particular concern is the already high and increasing number of incidents of inconsiderately parked and abandoned e-bikes reported to the council daily and the often slow response time by Lime to remove these.

Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council 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 has written to Lime proposing several changes to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the scheme in Brent, while also meeting its wider transport and environmental objectives of creating healthier, more resilient and more welcoming streets and neighbourhoods.

These requests included:

• The introduction of dedicated e-bike parking bays: This would ensure e-bikes are parked safely in dedicated, cordoned-off areas which attract a high number of journeys and with high footfall, such as stations, town centres, employment areas and other visitor attractions. A ‘no parking zone’ 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 being developed by Transport for London, London Councils and boroughs to make the usage of e-bikes and e-scooters safer and more consistent across the capital. Planned to launch in 2026, a central element of the scheme is a requirement to provide dedicated, controlled parking for rental e-bikes and e-scooters.
  
  
• Dedicated in-borough resources to manage day-to-day operations: Dedicated local resources would help ensure that any e-bikes reported to be inconsiderately parked or abandoned be removed swiftly, which is not currently the case. Brent has also requested that Lime increases penalties for users who fail to leave their e-bikes in the correct location from the current fine which is set at £10 and which the council does not feel provides an adequate deterrent.
  
  
• A commitment from Lime to give back to the local community: In line with the council’s commitment to all its partnerships adding value to the local community, the council asked Lime to consider providing local training and employment opportunities and community engagement events as part of its activities in the borough. This would include a Brent Resident Forum where users and non-users can meet with the council and Lime to share their views on how the scheme is working locally and any improvements.

 Lime’s response to Brent Council’s above requests has not been satisfactory. Muhammed Butt said:

To date, Lime has not satisfied our proposals, which we consider vital to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the scheme in Brent. Unless Lime changes the way it works with us, we are out of road for its activities in Brent.

The council is awaiting a response to its latest letter to Lime with its position. Pending this response, Brent Council has provided formal pre-emptive notice to Lime that all e-bikes must be removed from Brent by 31 October 2024.

Councillor Butt concluded

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.

Update with Brent Council comment. Grappling with the Lime Bikes parking problem. What can Brent do?

 

If these lime bikes were blocking MP’s from getting into parliament you’d be taking immediate action @UKLabour @LondonLabour @leicesterliz @stephenctimms @DisabilityGovUK

Discrimination against disabled people. Get it sorted#DisabledPeopleDemandpic.twitter.com/qf1zrLLgST

— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) July 27, 2024

 

Riders appear to have taken the trouble not to block the pavement

Entrance to Cadent gas station blocked on Birchen Grove

 

At Willesden Green parking shifts between the station and the next corner

Outside St Andrew's Church, Kingsbury

Lime bikes takeover of Wembley Park stands normally used by other cyclists

Local social media has seen increasing numbers of posts about Lime Bikes that have become more frequent as youngster have learnt how to hack the system to have a free ride. 

The problem is not so much on the bike riding itself, though cycling on the pavement is alarming to many, as what happens to the bike when the rider has finished with it. Badly parked bikes on pavements are an impediment to the partially sighted, the elderly, disabled and parents with buggies. Sometimes people are forced into the road to avoid the clutter,

A good idea to encourage non-car travel is in danger of becoming a burden rather than an asset.

The Evening Standard has reported the TfL, under pressure from London Councils is considering  limiting the numbers in local areas and requiring designated parking bays. LINK

Unsurprisingly Forest, one of the major providers is opposed to restrictions:

 Forest, which has 10,000 e-bikes in London, believes that placing too many rules on where the bikes can be parked, and on how many can be provided in each borough, will make them less attractive to Londoners.

It wants a “hybrid” approach, with cyclists able to park the bikes in designated bays or responsibly beside the roadside without blocking pavements.

Forest head of policy Alex Berwin said: “Yes, we need dedicated parking bays and mandatory parking, but when you go out to the more suburban areas, having more of a free-floating model works best, so people can have more flexibility around where they want to end their ride - nearer their home, for example.

The London Borough of Lewisham LINK is going to require parking in designated bays and nowhere else in the borough:

Now Lime and Lewisham Council will install 300 bike parking bays across the area. If a Lime bike isn’t parked in a bay users won’t be able to end their journey and will continue to be charged until they stop in a designated area.

There are reports that such arrangements will be on the condition that a council renew their contract with Lime. Secret London report that Other boroughs, including Camden, Westminster, Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea have already enforced rules around dockless e-bikes amid concerns from the public that they were a hazard on pavements

Wembley Matters asked the Brent Cycling Campaign to comment on the issue:

Brent Cycling Campaign supports the London Cycling Campaign belief that the massive increase of dockless e-bikes in London is positive overall and is leading to new audiences and communities cycling in London and triggering mode shift from less sustainable modes."

 

This is quite clear that in places where cycling rate is traditionally low and where there are no Santander Cycles stations, like the North of the borough, the dockless e-bikes seem very popular.

So there is a big unmet demand for cycling.

Brent Cycling Campaign supports the concept of shared mobility and we are regularly suggesting to Brent Council that the solution to poor parking behaviour is in plenty of dedicated bays. The popularity of their use should be celebrated by the Council and a lot of insights  could be harvested to understand better where cycling needs are.

In essence: (my emphasis)

1. We need plenty of clearly designated bays to park the dockless bikes, geofenced them and on the carriage way (not on the pavement).
2. A prompt and strict response by the local authority when the operators are not following through.
3. The need for operators to regularly clearly and regularly communicate to users the dos and don'ts and have strict enforcement rules when users don't respect them.
4. For the operators to keep up with the technology and trend as this is a sector that evolves quickly so they need to adapt promptly.

Poor parking behaviour should be addressed the same way as for any other bad parking behaviour.  We understand Brent Council has commissioned MPSmarter Travel and City Infinity to help with identifying suitable locations for bays which is welcome. Using regular cycle stands to park them (like outside tube or train stations) should be allowed but not taking over every single stand like we have seen recently. Whatever agreement the Council has with the operators, it should be regularly scrutinised and updated to reflect an evolving situation. Dockless bikes operators operate globally and plenty of other cities don't seem to be having the same issues, so there's scope to see what works elsewhere.

Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: 

We are aware of residents' concerns with regards to the parking of Lime Bikes and we are working closely with Lime to strengthen arrangements around where and how their bikes are parked in the borough. This includes identifying suitable locations throughout the borough to install dedicated parking bays for bikes - similar to the ones recently implemented in our green neighbourhood areas; and requiring them to remove any badly parked or abandoned bikes promptly.