The menace of abandoned Lime e-bikes blocking London’s pavements

Irresponsibly parked electronic Lime bikes are blocking pavements and road crossings around London, leaving people little remedy except to bombard the company or local councils with complaints.

Lime e-bikes were found obstructing pedestrian areas and high streets, and people trying to visit shops, restaurants, sport and music venues, during a This is Money investigation over the past few weeks.

Electronic bikes and scooters operated by hire companies have sprung up in a number of UK cities and towns, and they are a convenient and environmentally friendly form of transport used by many people.

The bikes usually cost a flat fee to unlock, and then a further amount based on how long the user rides for. 

However they are ‘dockless’, meaning users – who register, pay and unlock the bikes via an app – can easily hop on, ride and get off within the areas where they operate, and they typically aren’t parked in designated bays.

Inconsiderate parking of the rising number of dockless e-bikes is an annoyance to pedestrians and an obstacle for parents with pushchairs, but also a hazard for people with disabilities or sight problems. 

There are also concerns that private and hired e-bikes and scooters are being ridden too fast, or illegally on pavements, and MPs and campaigners have called for them to have number plates and for riders to have insurance.

Westminster City Council, which receives daily complaints about e-bikes left on pavements, also wants hire companies to crack down on ‘hackers’ – unregistered users who effectively break into the bikes and ride them for free. 

It warns videos are circulating on social media about how to do this, and says hacked bikes are also untraceable – so riders can dump them on pavements without facing punishment.

> What are e-bike parking rules and how do you complain: Find out below

Brixton in London: Lime bikes were found obstructing pedestrian areas and High Streets during our investigation in the capital

During our investigation we found that apart from Lime – which was the overwhelming exception to the rule – e-bike operators have mostly succeeded in getting their customers to park e-bikes along the sides of pavements or up against buildings.

But we discovered and photographed many Lime bikes obstructing people walking around London, and blocking pedestrian road crossings.

A London resident, who did not want to be named, took the picture below of a bike impeding big crowds in Finsbury Park after a recent music gig.

Finsbury Park: A Lime bike was dumped in the middle of the pavement after a gig late at night

She reckons thousands of people were inconvenienced by one Lime bike as they left the venue and walked to the station late at night.

‘There was a stream of people all having to walk around it,’ she says. ‘I was a bit embarrassed to take a picture, but I did stop for a second and do it because something should be done to stop bikes being parked in people’s way all the time.’

A London commuter, who preferred not to be named, says when he went to Wimbledon to watch the tennis last week, there was a Lime bike parked in the middle of the pavement on the main route from Southfields tube, and many cluttered around the venue itself.

Kilburn: A woman pushing a buggy in the background had just passed these e-bikes blocking the road crossing

Again, he notes that one Lime bike was obstructing thousands of pedestrians at a busy time.

‘Lots of people were using that pavement at the same time. There were many Lime bikes left outside Wimbledon itself too, and I can’t imagine Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club was best pleased about that either.’

A London resident, who also asked to be quoted anonymously, took the picture on the right during the evening in Kilburn.

She says: ‘There is a lady pushing a buggy who had to navigate this mess to cross the road.

‘It’s not nice to be coming back from the shops or just trying to get around your area for a walk and being met with this eyesore of discarded Lime bikes strewn everywhere. 

‘It’s ugly and also probably dangerous – if someone were to trip over one they could really hurt themselves.’

What happened when we made a complaint to Lime

When This is Money sent a complaint and the picture below about a Lime e-bike blocking a pavement in Kensington in London using the online form on its website, we received an auto-response and then a reply within a couple of hours that morning.

Kensington: Many users leave Lime bikes in the middle of the pavement

This asked us for more details – crucially, we needed to supply the QR code on the e-bike, so if you intend to complain it is best to take a picture of that, too.

The message was: ‘Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this vehicle.

‘Could you please share some more information with us? This extra information will help us let our local teams know about the issue so that they can take care of it as quickly as possible. If you can, please share any of the following:

• Vehicle number (Located on the QR code or plate)

• The city you’re currently in

• Location of the vehicle (exact address, nearby landmark or business, street intersection, etc.)

• Pictures of the vehicle (if possible)

‘As soon as we have this information, we’ll notify our local teams.’

That evening, we passed the Lime bike below blocking a pavement somewhere else in Kensington.

What is being done about irresponsible e-bike parking?

The Department for Transport and Transport for London both referred us to local councils when we asked what was being done to keep pavements clear of e-bikes.

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.’

E-bikes form part of the Government’s plans to increase active travel and it regards them as offering a range of health and environmental benefits.

However, it intends to introduce new legislation when parliamentary time allows to allow local authorities to manage rental schemes and enforce issues such as parking arrangements.

Rule 70 of The Highway Code advises people to park bicycles where it will not cause an obstruction or hazard, and this is usually a requirement of hiring one.

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘The dockless bike schemes in London are not managed/controlled by TfL.

‘Complaints regarding the parking of these would likely go straight to the operator or to individual councils, so they would be the best people to speak to about parking issues with these schemes.’

Many of the pictures for this investigation were taken in Brixton, London, to get an idea of how the e-bike problem is affecting one busy area in the capital, and we therefore approached Lambeth Council for comment.

Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, Lambeth’s deputy council leader, responded: ‘We understand there is concern about short hire e-bikes being left in the street, and that bikes left on the pavement can cause a real hazard, particularly for disabled people.

‘We are calling on the Government to give councils the power to act to really tackle this issue.

‘In the absence of this Government backing we are doing what we can locally. We have an in principle agreement with the e-bike operators that will form a voluntary code of conduct.

‘Once that is finalised we will be installing more than 200 bays across Lambeth which will be the only place they are allowed to be parked.’

Westminster City Council has called for harsher penalties for abandoned dockless bikes, saying £2 is too little for dumping a bike in the middle of the pavement.

It also wants bike companies to agree a ‘fine structure’ to ensure they are all charging users the same penalties if they park their bikes irresponsibly.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management, said: ‘The council receives daily complaints about dockless e-bikes being dumped on the pavement, particularly in areas like Soho where the streets are narrow and pedestrians are potentially put in danger.

‘We’re also very concerned about the apparent ease with which these bikes can be hacked and essentially used for free. There are videos across social media which demonstrate how to hack Lime bikes, and we hope that all dockless bike companies will do more to tackle this.

‘Our priority has always been the safety of residents and visitors to the city and keeping our pavements clear. If these bikes are hacked, the rider is untraceable and the bikes can simply be dumped with impunity.’