Council to bring in fines and bans for dumping e-bikes out of parking zone
By Alicia Curry, Local Democracy Reporter
A council is bringing in fines for people dumping e-bikes outside designated zones in order to “clean up” streets.
About 220 new parking bays for dockless e-bikes will be rolled out across Westminster, starting in the coming weeks, as part of an 18-month trial.
Riders using Lime, Forest, or Tier bikes will be required to park their bikes in designated locations or face fines and even a potential ban.
The council confirmed that the minimum penalty on Lime will be £10 and on Forest it will be £15.
Over the last year, concerns have been raised over the number of e-bikes dumped in the middle of the pavements, making them dangerous for pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities and visual impairments.
The council has collaborated with bike operators to map out suitable locations for parking bays, with changes set to be brought in through a two-phased approach.
The council will implement the changes using an Experimental Traffic Order in two phases, starting in the West End, Covent Garden and Marylebone over the coming few weeks.
The bays will be provided by repurposing a mixture of underused resident car parking bays, pay-to-park bays, yellow lines, underused cycle stands, and creating new bays on the wide pavements where appropriate.
Residents who neighbour the new docks have been informed of changes to them and how they can feed back issues. Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, said: “Cycling is a fantastic way to get around Westminster but, unfortunately, we have seen many dockless e-bikes being dumped in the middle of the pavement. This is a clear safety hazard for pedestrians with disabilities and visual impairments.
“By working with the bike companies to install a network of parking bays across the city, our aim is to stop riders dumping bikes in the middle of the pavement, encourage responsible parking, and ensure our streets are kept clear and accessible for everyone.”
Westminster City council began seizing e-bikes in 2022 after concerns were raised over app-operated rentals, but the majority of the responsibility still resides with the bike company.
Pictured top: E-bikes block the pavement in Westminster (Picture: Westminster council)