London is taking action against reckless e-bike parking

I experienced a few adjustments when I moved to London two years ago: how noisy the tube can be, how spread out the city is and how many e-bikes are strewn everywhere, blocking the sidewalk and access ramps. Now, Transport for London (TfL) is attempting to improve the latter, announcing new steps to regulate parking for Lime, Forest and other companies’ 40,000-plus e-bikes across the city. Rental e-scooters in London already operate with more rigorous parking restrictions.

The initiative will impact red roads, a networks of major streets TfL manages. Red roads make up about five percent of London’s streets, but about 30 percent of its traffic. Namely, TfL will hold operators responsible “who allow their bikes to be parked outside of designated places on red routes and on TfL land, which includes areas such as station forecourts and bus garages,” the announcement reads.

It’s unclear just how TfL plans to do this, though, whether it be by fines or restricting access. TFL simply states that it will take “a proportionate and pragmatic approach” to enforcement, focusing its efforts on areas where the e-bikes cause the greatest safety and access risks.

“The right long-term solution is new legislation, setting out fair and consistent rules that all operators have to abide by. However ahead of that, it is clear the current operators could and should be doing much more to address these problems,” says councillor Kieron Williams, London Councils Executive Member for Climate, Transport and Environment. TfL seems acutely aware of its dependence on the operators and has requested the government consider new powers for the transport organization that allow it to better regulate e-bike services.

TfL is also working with the boroughs to increase e-bike parking compliance. London is notably made up of 32 boroughs plus the city of London, requiring widespread collaboration and enforcement. According to TfL, London’s boroughs have created 2,000 parking bays this year, while the transport organization has allocated nearly £1 million ($1.3 million) this year to fund 7,500 parking spaces. It also plans to make at least 800 spaces before next summer and to reach 3,000 in total by 2026’s end.

TfL separately offers Santander-sponsored bikes with designated parking docking terminals, one in six of which are electric.