Riders dumping hire bikes in the streets need harsher penalties, says town hall

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter

Harsher penalties are needed for people who dump bikes on the streets of Central London, Westminster City council said.

It has called upon hire bike companies to introduce bigger fines to anyone who abandons the vehicles.

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

Currently, some users are charged as little as £2 for dumping bikes in the middle of the pavement.

Westminister council has also called for dockless bike companies to agree on a “fine structure” to ensure all companies are charging users the same penalties if they park their bikes irresponsibly.

Penalty fines currently vary between different operators. Lime gives users a warning for their first offence and then charged £2 for a second offence.

Riders are only banned from hiring the bikes once they have been caught five times. Meanwhile, Human Forest issues a warning for a first offence and then charges £15 for a second parking offence.

Riders are permanently banned if they are caught three times.

The council is currently working with the bike companies to try and introduce designated parking spots.

It said it received complaints every day about bikes dumped in awkward places like in the middle of pavements.

Since August 2022 the council has been seizing bikes which are left in dangerous places.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, in charge of city management, said: “A warning and a £2 fine are doing little to stop people dumping these bikes all over the streets of central London.

“We are seeing thousands of dockless bikes left in Westminster every day and many of them are blocking pavements and roads. This is a safety hazard for pedestrians, especially for those with mobility needs and those with limited eyesight.

“If we see bikes parked dangerously the council will confiscate them. But the dockless bike companies need to do more and handing out harsher penalties to irresponsible users is a good place to start.”

A spokesperson for Lime said: “Since launching in London five years ago, our top priority has been ensuring our services work for everyone sharing London’s roads. We understand the importance of not obstructing pavements and other shared spaces, particularly for those with access needs.

“All Lime users are required to take an ‘end-trip photo’ of how they park. These photos are reviewed, with non-compliant users warned and fined for mis-parking. Fines start at £2 for the first offence, and escalate to £20 for the fifth offence under our progressive discipline policy. After this point, the rider will be permanently banned from our service. On average, 80 per cent of users do not re-offend following their first fine.”

Human Forest has been contacted but did not comment before publication.

Pictured top: Dockless Bike seized by Westminster City council (Picture: Westminster City council)