The Mayor of London has announced plans for a London-wide crackdown on the “Wild West approach” the capital has taken to e-bikes. Lime, Voi and Forest cycles that are badly parked or abandoned on the city’s pavements have frustrated Londoners since they were introduced in 2017.
Current borough rules to be replaced
Currently each individual borough can set its own rules on the number of e-bikes allowed on streets, what firms are required to do to tackle bad parking and how they are fined. Operators have previously called for London to follow Paris and introduce a city-wide set of rules on dockless bikes.
Lord Sadiq Khan on Tuesday laid out his vision for a licensing scheme that would apply to all e-bike operators in the capital.
Mayor’s call for new powers
He said: “The ‘Wild West’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue. While these services are helping thousands more Londoners to cycle, their rapid growth has also brought challenges around safety, inconsiderate parking, and the lack of data needed to properly manage them. For too long, cities have been left without the tools needed to properly manage these services, despite clear evidence that the current approach is not working.”
Under new powers handed to the Mayor by the Government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, Transport for London will gain statutory powers to establish a framework for the cycles. Further secondary legislation and Government guidance, which the Department for Transport is expected to consult on, is required before any new licensing scheme can be put in place.
Plans for one clear set of rules
But the Mayor said that in a bid to “speed up” TfL being handed the new powers, he is laying out his proposals for a rental e-bike schemes across London. Lord Khan said the plans will seek to enforce “one clear set of rules” for the city by replacing the current borough-by-borough arrangements, a safety clamp down to ensure “responsible behaviour” from riders, tackling inconsiderate parking and rules for “fair and transparent” pricing.
Lord Khan added: “It’s now vital that the Department for Transport moves quickly to bring forward the secondary legislation needed to make these powers a reality. London cannot afford further delays. To speed things up, rather than waiting, I’m today setting out my ambitions for effective management of dockless e-bikes once secondary legislation has passed – a framework to improve safety and data sharing, tackle poor parking and create consistent standards across the capital. In the meantime, we will work closely with dockless operators and ensure that they engage fully with London boroughs and TfL to ensure their services work well for all Londoners, as we build a better London for everyone.”
Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Transport Strategy and Policy, added: “We welcome the legislation which will provide us with powers to regulate dockless bikes across the capital. Once we have details of the new licensing framework from the Government, we will work at pace with boroughs and other stakeholders to be in a position to take on the powers we expect to be given as a licensing authority.”
