Westminster to tackle badly parked e-bikes with permanent parking bays

Westminster City Council is proposing to make parking bays for hire e-bikes permanent following an 18-month trial. 

The network of 350 physical and virtual parking bays was introduced across the City of Westminster since 2023 as part of a e-bike parking bays trial, with the aim of reducing the number of abandoned bikes blocking pavements and creating safety hazards for disabled and partially sighted pedestrians. 

The explosion in popularity of dockless e-bikes since 2021 has had a number of benefits for Westminster – more cycle journeys (around 600,000 per month) contributing to better air quality and improved health of Westminster’s residents as well as reducing carbon emissions resulting from short journeys. Research from CoMoUK shows that around half of bike share users are already cycling, while the other half are taking it up for the first time or returning to cycling after a break of a year or more.

However, during this same period, the council has also been inundated with thousands of complaints about abandoned bikes in the middle of the pavement.

Since 2023, the council has repurposed hundreds of underused car parking bays and introduced geo-fenced ‘virtual’ bays. It is now proposing to make 177 physical bays permanent parking spaces for hire e-bikes. And there are plans to consult on expanding the network to increase the number of bays.  

Riders using Lime or Forest bikes who end their journeys in Westminster must park their bikes in these locations or face steep penalties. The council has worked closely with operators Lime and Forest to identify suitable locations for the bays and has lobbied bike companies to increase their fines on irresponsible users. 

Bike companies operating in Westminster employ a team of ‘rangers’ who patrol the parking bays and streets to ensure that e-bikes are properly parked and to move any which are blocking the pavement. However, the council has powers under the Highways Act (1980) to seize abandoned bikes which it deems to be an “imminent danger” to public safety.

Westminster City Council has repeatedly called for the government to introduce legislation to address the limited regulatory powers to manage dockless bike schemes in England, and has welcomed the English Devolution White Paper.

Councillor Max Sullivan, Cabinet Member for Streets, said: 

“Cycling is a great way to get around the city and, as a council, we want to make it as easy as possible to hop on a bike — but too often shared e-bikes in Westminster cause obstruction on our pavements.

“That’s why I'm glad to confirm that our network of e-bike parking bays will continue to be a feature of Westminster streets, and part of lessening the impact on pedestrians of the over 600,000 journeys by shared e-bike per month in our borough.

“This combined with fines from bike companies for irresponsible parking and the Council's powers to seize abandoned bikes will help ensure Westminster’s streets remain clear and accessible for everyone.

“The council welcomes the Government’s English Devolution White Paper and wants to see a new regulatory framework so councils can control e-bike hire schemes in their area.

At the same time, we're rolling our more secure cycle parking for residents, with another 41 hangers by the end of March, providing 246 parking spaces, so that more residents can choose to own and store their own bike, and accelerating the delivery of protected cycleways across Westminster."

The Cabinet Member for Streets is due to take a formal decision on the report on 28 February. The report can be found here. https://committees.westminster.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2660