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It could be the end of the road for Lime bikes... in one west London borough.
Brent Council has given Lime until October 31 to remove all the e-bikes in the area if it ‘continues to ignore’ safety concerns about where the bikes are parked. The council said the cycles have caused ‘havoc’ in the borough, particularly for pedestrians and disabled people, causing locals to ‘sour’ on them.
There are currently 750 Lime bikes in the borough, but the local authorities said the way they are managed needs to be changed, otherwise they will have to be banned. Brent Council has written to Lime to suggest changes that would ‘ensure the safe and efficient operation of the scheme’.
Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: ‘Lime bikes left scattered across our streets are causing havoc for other road users, especially for pedestrians and disabled people. Residents have gone sour on Lime and the council is receiving repeated, regular complaints about the bikes left across paths and roads in a haphazard way.
‘This is putting unsustainable pressure on council staff who are spending time cleaning up after Lime. Something needs to change as the current situation is unsustainable and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.’
A Lime spokesperson said the company was committed to finding a solution with the council, which could include introducing mandatory parking areas.
‘It is possible to move to a mandatory parking model in Brent, but the council needs to install a sufficient number of parking locations for people to park at,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We need these locations in order to maintain a tidy and easy to use service that can continue to contribute to the Council’s active travel goals. We can support this process by providing trip data and infrastructure funding.’
Brent isn’t the first London borough to crack down on wayward Limes. Wandsworth Council has already banned e-bikes from being parked at random on pavements, and TfL is looking into prohibiting their parking on pavements across the whole city.
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