Brent Council has notified Lime that it must address safety concerns in order to continue operating the borough’s dockless e-bike scheme.
The council has partnered with Lime since 2019 and currently hosts 750 e-bikes in the borough.
While the initiative promotes sustainable and active travel, Brent says the e-bikes have also come with significant safety concerns, which Lime has not currently addressed to the council’s satisfaction.
Of particular concern is the ‘already high and increasing number’ of incidents of inconsiderately parked and abandoned e-bikes reported to the council daily and the ‘often slow response time by Lime to remove these’.
The council has written to Lime proposing several changes to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the scheme. These requests include:
- The introduction of dedicated e-bike parking bays:
- Dedicated in-borough resources to manage day-to-day operations
- A commitment from Lime to give back to the local community
Brent says unless they are addressed, then the scheme will draw to a close on 31 October.
Cllr 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.”
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