Bike hire firm to charge riders £15 for dumping bikes in busy areas

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

Londoners could be fined £15 for dumping their bikes in busy areas, a cycle company has announced.

HumanForest, like its rival Limes Bikes, is fining anyone who leaves the company’s e-bikes in no-parking zones in Westminster’s busiest areas, including Soho and Covent Garden.

The company has also brought in a measure to ban repeat offenders and has set up a hotline for people to report misplaced bikes.

It has also hired a team of workers dubbed “Forest Guardians” to patrol the streets of London to tidy and relocate eBikes before they become a problem.

A HumanForest spokesman said: “We are working with councils to promote continued growth in shared mobility and particularly dockless bikes.

“With the cost-of-living crisis and rising cost of fuel, walking and cycling should continue to be made one of the easiest and most convenient choices for everyday journeys.

“For us, that means more on-carriageway parking and a presumption towards it rather than on-pavement, to help minimise the impact on other London residents.

“Great progress has been made towards this by many London councils in recent months and we are building new technology to further support this too.

“This, together with strict enforcement, through fines and suspension, no parking zones, and our own Forest Guardians who are responsible for attending hot spots will help ensure that dockless e-bikes provide a zero-emission travel option that works for all residents and local authorities.” 

It comes as irresponsible cyclists will be charged five times as much for dumping Lime bikes in the West End.

Lime is set to fine people £10 in Soho and Covent Garden for leaving bikes blocking pavements, following discussions with Westminster City Council.

The National Federation for the Blind previously said visually impaired people were put off going to museums and theatres in the capital and claimed the streets were littered with abandoned cycles for hire.

The council has also called for apps to be improved so residents and businesses can report badly-parked bikes more easily.

Westminster councillor Paul Dimoldenberg  said: “These new measures are a step in the right direction to ensure the West End is accessible for everyone. Residents have told us they are sick and tired of badly-parked dockless bikes blocking narrow pavements and roads.

“Increasing fines and introducing no-parking zones in Soho and Covent Garden will encourage responsible cycling and make our streets safer.”

Pictured top: HumanForest Bikes (Picture: Philafrenzy/Wikimedia Commons)