Residents in Tower Hamlets, east London, have called for action over what they describe as a 'dockless bike crisis' that is making pavements dangerous for pedestrians. The council is considering introducing designated parking zones after campaigners warned that badly parked bikes were creating hazards, particularly on 'narrow and congested pavements' around Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Shoreditch.
Petition presented to councillors
A petition was presented to councillors on October 7 by campaigners Abul Khair, Guljar Khan and Yasmin Haque, who said the problem had gone on for far too long. They stressed that members of the public were not against cycling, but wanted to stop bikes being abandoned in places where they could block people's way.
Khair told councillors: 'What may seem like a minor inconvenience can quickly become a serious obstruction for people trying to move around safely.' He added: 'For wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs, older residents and people with mobility needs, a badly parked bike can mean leaving the pavement and stepping on to the road.'
Calls for enforcement and bans
Khair said campaigners had been raising the issue with senior council managers for more than a year, but had so far 'seen no improvements'. He also called for antisocial behaviour officers to monitor problem hotspots and remove bikes causing obstructions. There were even calls to create areas where dockless bikes would be banned altogether.
Council confirms work under way
Tower Hamlets chief executive Stephen Halsey confirmed that work on designated parking zones was under way. 'The options that are available to the council are to do what Hackney, Islington and other inner London boroughs have done, which is have parking zones,' he said. 'That piece of work is currently under way.'
