Plan to give authorities power to regulate e-bikes and scooters revealed

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A council leader has thrown his support behind a Government plan to give mayors and regional transport authorities the power to regulate e-bikes and e-scooters. 

Councillor Adam Hug from Westminster council said e-transport in his borough had ‘exploded’ over recent years, turning pavements into a ‘dumping ground’ for e-bikes.

He said this had caused problems for the visually impaired, wheelchair users and others with special needs. 

He said: “Westminster council has championed the cause of e-bike regulation and lobbied the Government to act after the failure of the previous transport bill to deliver.

“That void left us with a patchwork quilt of different schemes across the capital, and e-bikes don’t navigate by local authority boundaries. 

“It took 10 years to win the argument to devolve the power to regulate pedicabs, so I am glad this White Paper paves the way for mayors and transport authorities to get the powers they need to implement a sensible scheme.”

According to Cllr Hug, Westminster has the most e-bike journeys in the world, with more than 2,800 bikes per hour peddling around its streets per hour at peak times. 

In its recently released White Paper on the future of devolution in England, the Government said regional transport authorities would be given powers to regulate on-street micromobility schemes, like hired bikes, to allow areas to shape these schemes around their needs.

The paper, which was released yesterday, also gives new powers for mayors to allow them to guide infrastructure and development projects across areas, housing, transport and skills. 

White Papers are policy documents produced by the Government that set out their proposals for future legislation.

Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, an e-bike provider in London, welcomed the announcement.

He said: “Forest is proud to have led the way in setting the bar for responsible and safe operations. 

“We look forward to continuing our work with the Government, boroughs and TfL to resolve the regulatory patchwork across London and deliver strong parking compliance, while ensuring the benefits of dockless e-bikes can reach every corner of London.”

A TfL spokesman said rental e-bikes and e-scooters are “important parts” of the capital’s transport network.

He said: “We will continue to work with operators, boroughs and other partners to ensure all Londoners have access to a safe and sustainable transport network.”

But, councillor Paul Swaddle, leader of the opposition in Westminster council, said he is concerned about how ‘efficient’ TfL will be at regulating e-bikes. 

Referring to the delayed plans to regulate pedicabs in the capital, he said: “They have not even started that consultation, let alone got on with regulations.

“If e-bikes follow the same route it will be well into 2026 before we see any action. In the meantime the council should be using the powers it already has to tackle the problem today.”

Cllr Swaddle said the Government’s devolution White Paper also backs Sadiq Khan’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street. 

He said: “This is ironic in a bill that purports to be about putting decision making devolved to local authorities. The government is riding roughshod over the views of residents.”

The White Paper supports the Mayor’s proposal to establish a new Mayoral Development Corporation (MCD) to bring forward the regeneration of Oxford Street. 

An MDC would have its own planning powers and be able to overrule Westminster council, which recently announced it was scrapping its own £90million regeneration of the popular shopping strip.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Dockless e-bikes play an important role in supporting more people to cycle but we know that poor e-bike parking can cause significant safety issues for some Londoners, particularly disabled and older people. 

“The Mayor’s million-pound investment into additional parking spaces, in conjunction with TfL’s updated enforcement policy to ensure that vehicles are parked responsibly, will make London safer and more accessible for everyone.”

Pictured top: Westminster City leader Adam Hug (Picture: Westminster council)