Dockless ebikes have surged in popularity<\/a> in recent years as a cheaper and greener alternative to other modes of transport. One in 10 of the 1.5m daily cycle journeys in the city are made using dockless ebikes, according to estimates by Transport for London (TfL).<\/p>\n However, campaigners are calling on providers to do more to prevent buildups of their bikes on pavements and roads.<\/p>\n Lime bikes have become ubiquitous in London, with 10% of the 1.5m daily cycle journeys in the city made using dockless ebikes Photograph: Simon Shepheard\/Alamy<\/p>\n \u201cIrresponsibly parked ebikes cause a lot of problems,\u201d said Zak Viney, of the campaign group Living Streets. \u201cIt prevents people from walking and wheeling on the street safely.\u201d<\/p>\n Erik Matthies, policy lead at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said the rise in abandoned ebikes was overwhelming blind and partially sighted people, as well as elderly people and wheelchair users.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are having collisions and injuries due to bikes left on the pavement, and the problem is getting worse,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are blind people who tell us they do not go out on their own any more and they do not make journeys that they used to.\u201d<\/p>\n The Guardian sent freedom of information requests to all the 21 boroughs across London that have dockless bike contracts, as well as the City of London, the authority that manages the financial district in the centre of the capital. Of these, nine said they did not seize or fine any bike operators, and three either did not reply within the deadline or said they did not hold the information.<\/p>\n James Slater, a councillor in Camden, said ebikes had been left in resident parking bays and had obstructed traffic on roads. \u201cDuring the solar eclipse we had swarms of ebikes around Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath,\u201d he said. \u201cThe operators have a responsibility to make sure the bikes are not causing a public nuisance.\u201d<\/p>\n A woman commuting on a Lime electric hire bike across London Bridge during the rush hour. Photograph: Alex MacNaughton\/Alamy<\/p>\n Bike operators argue councils are not investing sufficiently in building more parking bays, which could prevent the buildup of poorly parked bikes on pavement.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, councils have bemoaned a lack of centralised regulation across London, which they argue would make planning easier.<\/p>\n Slater said the regulation across London was like a \u201cjigsaw puzzle\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to have a London-wide approach,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for 32 councils in London to all have slightly different policies, and in some cases different operators on borough boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | Every weekday<\/p>\n Sign up to Business Today<\/p>\n Get set for the working day \u2013 we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n The English devolution bill, passed in April, gives local authorities in England<\/a> fresh powers to license rental ebike operators and set requirements around parking, safety and accessibility standards.<\/p>\n In London, the new licensing powers go to TfL, which is expected to create a single capital-wide regulatory framework for dockless ebike operators. The mayor of London\u2019s office said it was working closely with TfL and the Department for Transport<\/a> on the secondary legislation required to implement \u201cmuch-needed controls as quickly as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789197737_674_500.jpg\")
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