Update 17.09.24
We note in today's Love Lambeth, the headline story 'Renewed calls to make dockless bikes safer', which included the following statement:
Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Lambeth’s Deputy Leader (Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air), spoke at the all-party parliamentary group on walking and cycling – which aims to influence government policy – to call for urgent regulation of this industry. Cllr Chowdhury said: “I explained to the parliamentary group that we remain concerned about dockless hire e-bikes being left on the pavement because they can cause a real hazard, especially if you’re a wheelchair user, visually impaired or pushing a buggy or pram."
Norwood Forum supports this call.
There is also later reference to the new Lambeth strategy, the: Healthy Neighbourhood Plan:
"Over the next two years the council aims to continue refocusing local streets for local people, creating more cycle lanes, better high streets, walking routes, green spaces, new Healthy Neighbourhoods in Stockwell, the South Bank and Clapham Common, more safe bike storage and more electric vehicle charging points."
And we call for this to be developed in collaboration with the community. A grass-roots up approach is essential to achieve genuine buy-in from local residents and businesses.
Update 02.09.24
Reporting of 'abandoned bikes' (bikes not in the allocated bays) and other anti-social behaviours
Lambeth Officers advise the following:
Raise with the respective operator – but make sure to mention the Memorandum of Understanding agreement that they have with Lambeth. Lambeth Officers have found that the companies are often more responsive when this gets mentioned. If this does NOT have the intended impact, then it is recommented to email E-ScooterTrial@lambeth.gov.uk with as much context as possible and Lambeth will get in touch with the operators on your behalf.
Please contact the individual operators using the contact details below for issues including:
- E-Scooter or dockless bike being parked outside of a dockless parking bay
- Dangerous riding
- Any other issue relating to the operation of an E-Scooter or dockless bike
Dott: (E-scooter only)
Number: 0800 048 8993
Email: support@ridedott.com
Website: ridedott.com/
Voi: (E-scooter only)
Number: 0800 376 8179
Email: support@voi.com
Website: www.voi.com/
Lime: (E-scooter and e-bike)
Number: 0800 808 5223
Email: support@li.me
Website: www.li.me/
TIER: (E-bikes only)
Number: 0808 164 9486
Email: support@tier.app
Website: www.tier.app/
Forest (E-bikes only)
Number: 020 8157 7491
Email: cs@humanforest.co.uk
Website: www.humanforest.co.uk/
Update 28.08.24
London wide scheme
The Lambeth Officers we are working with inform us that TfL, London Councils and London boroughs are exploring the design of one coordinated future scheme to manage dockless e-bikes and e-scooters in London. This would be done through a contract, to especially improve parking of the vehicles, whilst also increasing the quality and sustainability of these services in London. If everything goes to plan, it is thought this new scheme could be launched in 2026.
Additional parking bays
In the meantime there is about to be a Phase 4 consultation of location of additional parking bays, and a Phase 5 is also anticipated. As soon as Phase 4 goes live, we will post this link on this page.
Update 07.06.24
Lambeth Officers tell us that further bays are under consideration. This is in part to tackle areas where they see exceptional demand, for rental e-bikes especially, but to also tackle a lack of bay density which there is currently in some areas of the borough. These new locations will be subject to a statutory consultation before any bay installations are complete, where residents in close vicinity will be consulted. Prior to this process, it is our also Lambeth's intention to share proposed locations with local Forums.
We await further details on reporting of 'abandoned bikes' and will be chasing Lambeth for this information.
Update 29.02.24
We have now received details on fines etc from Lambeth
Tier:
We don't fine users automatically for bad parking. However, if bad parking is identified we issues warnings on accounts. Repeat offenders will be banned from the service.
It is not possible to end a ride outside of a parking bay. If a vehicle is seen parked some distance from the parking bay it is likely the vehicle has 'timed out' as the max ride duration is reached. This effectively results in a fine for the user as they continue to pay for the rental as long as the vehicle is outside of a bay.
Lime:
Users that leave bikes outside of designated locations are warned and then fined £2 on the second offence, £5 on the third offence, £10 on the fourth offence and £20 and a ban on the fifth offence. Compliance is measured by GPS location and our mandatory end trip photo.
Sometimes we see users abandon bikes outside of bays due to a lack of understanding of the rules (particularly at the start of a service) or convenience barriers (particularly when there are no bays nearby).
We are counteracting this through our warning and fine system as well as rider education processes.
Forest:
We have two systems. One is for abandoning in No Parking Areas (more relevant for mandatory boroughs). This works by automatically emailing anyone who abandons once. We then fine them £5 if they abandon twice in an NPA.
For more general parking rules, we have a 4-strike system that applies to bad parking. The first strike is a warning. Second, a £15 fine. Third, a two-week suspension. Fourth, a full-service ban.
As mentioned above any user who abandons their ride in a Lambeth NPA will get an automatic warning. We do see an extended bedding-in period when a borough implements a mandatory parking system for the first time. We have seen this in all other boroughs to date.
Update 16.02.24
We are pleased to report that Lambeth Transport team came for a walkabout a few days ago, specifically to look at the dockless bays. We were able to go through our list of questions and already have some answers. Please read on.
Consultation period. Yes, this is being extended so that the full 6 month period begins only after the final bay has been painted. So the new deadline is Friday 9 August. Please provide your comments here. The map is incredibly busy and we made it clear its not at all easy to navigate. Please let us have your thoughts too: info@norwoodforum.org.
We visited four e-bike/scooter bay sites, identified to highlight their different situations and problems.
1. Outside Tulse Hill Station on Station Rise.
Lots of e-bikes clustered around the pink car shaped bike stand. It was noted that after many years, this still says it is 'temporary'.
Insufficient provision for private bikes (covered parking provided by Network Rail never replicated when removed) and no provision for e-bikes/scooters.
2. Avenue Park Road
Mix of e-bikes/scooters - many fallen over. We discussed options on warning signage, especially for sites such as these close to junctions. Other London boroughs currently using a mix of wand designs. Lambeth considering options.
3. Dalton Street
Bay has taken over a hard won replacement parking bay. Background filled in on the years of work to achieve the only recently rationalised (incl new TMO's) parking along Norwood Road and its side roads, was explained. Norwood Forum will identify bays for removal and explain why, and suggest alternatives.
4. Idmiston Road close to corner of Rosendale Road
Again e-bikes fallen over. Discussion on location being unhelpful to Scotch Meats and other retailer deliveries using their rear access. Agreed a new loading bay would be the best outcome. Lambeh agreed to raise with his transport contacts. Norwood Forum will raise with Streetworks contacts as well.
General:
1. Yes use of both e-bikes and these particular e-scooters is legal on the roads. It is illegal to use both on the pavements. There is virtually no enforcement due to lack of resources. Discussion on how Paris has recently banned e-scooters noted.
2. The Kerbside Strategy identifies roads not pavements for interventions such as these e-bike/scooter bays, keeping the pavement as clear as possible for pedestrians, but there may be a situation (such as outside Tulse Hill Station) where an exception might be made or a different solution could be found. Looking at the clutter on the Rosendale Road shop parade was a case in point with the sheffield bike stands attracting e-bikes to be abandoned instead of crossing over the road a short way to a designated bay.
3. There is GPS technology in use to identify where these e-bikes/scooters are being left, but its not very accurate.
4. The penalties that the four companies impose towards users who leave their e-bikes/scooters in non-designated areas are all different, different across different boroughs, and not very onerous either. Lambeth will be providing details on what the various penalties actually are.
5. Other boroughs aiming for bays to be as close as every 150m, Lambeth starting at every 300m/5mins (considered to be the same metric).
6. There is evidence to show from other boroughs that the very existence of bays do promote good user behaviour, and the use of the bays increases exponentially.
7. All the London boroughs are working together, sharing knowledge and solutions.
8. The e-bike/scooter companies are extremely difficult to bring under control and also litigious. Lambeth has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the four in this trial, but compliance is challenging. LBWestminster has tried impounding the bikes and only releasing them once a company has paid a fee. Taking the e-bike/scooter companies to court has also been unsuccessful so far - they have won all the cases - using the argument that they are providing a service.
9. Two bays in this current trial have already been removed - due to being on steep hills and bikes would not stand up.
10. Yes e-bikes and scooters left in the wrong places are supposed to be removed within 4hrs, but they have to be reported by someone. Discussion on the many ways this could be done, but there is no one defined way. Reporting on Fix My Street takes weeks to get back to the council, so not suited for this. Lambeth will be providing details on the most effective option. NOW RECEIVED SEE ABOVE
You may well have noticed Lambeth Council has been installing bays on local roads for the parking of rental e-scooters and e-bikes. These aim to help tackle the footway clutter and hazards caused by inappropriate parking practice. Such bays have been installed elsewhere in London and the UK.
When the Lambeth scheme was published in the summer it included pre-chosen experimental sites throughout the Borough. We wrote to Lambeth officers asking for local community forums to be involved in determining the sites so they could involve their communities. We asked for further information on implementing and enforcing the scheme across London given other boroughs are further advanced. We are now hoping to meet officers on these issues in the next few weeks.
The Council's intention is to provide a dense Borough-wide network of parking locations for those using dockless rental electrically assisted bikes and/or e-scooters. The Council ackowledges that such a network will be of particular benefit to residents such as those in our area who have lower levels of access to public transport and often live in steeper areas.
At present, there are four operators that provide dockless bike hire in London, namely: Lime, Human Forest, Tier and Dott.
Lambeth says it is proceeding by way of an experimental scheme so that the impact of the Orders can be assessed. Following this assessment, and based on feedback from the consultation process, it will decide whether to make these Orders permanent.
Your views are sought via this website. We will publish more information when we have it.
