Electric bikes pose major danger to Londoners with urgent calls for ‘immediate immobilisation’

One out of 10 Lime e-bikes has been found to be unsafe while operating on London streets, according to shocking new research.

A mechanic discovered that 12 per cent of randomly tested Lime bikes had dangerous defects that should have seen them withdrawn from service immediately.

The findings have now raised serious questions about the safety of the rental e-bikes that have become a common sight across the capital in a bid to offer greener transport options to riders.

It comes after James Holloway, a cycling instructor and mechanic, conducted tests on 50 Lime bikes hired at random across north London.

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Despite being reported, many of the faulty bikes remained available for hire. Holloway highlighted the dangers posed by bikes that appear safe but have hidden defects.

He told London Centric: “The main issue for me is somebody jumping on a bike that for all intents and purposes looks fine to ride.

“They suddenly hit the brake hard and they either find it’s not working as well as they’d like it to in the event of trying to avoid a collision or that it binds on and causes them to skid.”

The damaged bikes should have been “removed from the streets immediately” due to their dangerous condition, according to the organisation.

Despite reporting the issues to Lime, most of the faulty bikes remained available for hire. The investigation found that nearly half (48 per cent) of the tested e-bikes had some form of mechanical issue.

Of these, 18 per cent were missing components ranging from saddles to lights and kickstands. A further 14 per cent were judged to have brakes that were “not working, damaged, or deteriorating”.

In one instance, London Centric repeatedly reported that an e-bike’s saddle was missing, but Lime kept making it available for hire. The mechanic noted that while some issues might not affect a typical commuter, they could lead to an uncomfortable ride or further problems.

Regular Lime users told investigators they were accustomed to finding damaged bikes. But a Lime spokesperson insisted that “safety is our highest priority” and that 99.99 per cent of rides ended “without a reported incident”. It added that it does not immediately remove bikes from its service due to damage which could cause danger to riders.

The spokesperson explained: “Given high levels of rider subjectivity and erroneous reporting, we will mark the vehicle for inspection from our team, but we do not remove it from service unless additional reports are received from recent riders.”

The exception would only be for brake-related concerns, which prompt “near-immediate immobilisation” of the affected bike. Lime said its e-bikes “undergo regular inspection and maintenance” with emphasis on those receiving issue reports.

The investigation also follows councils across London calling for tougher regulation of e-bike rental companies. There have been growing concerns that the vehicles are being dumped on pavements by customers instead of being parked in designated bays.

Around 40,000 rental e-bikes are estimated to be on the capital’s roads, with most provided by Lime and Forest. Safety campaigners have previously raised concerns about e-bikes blocking pavements, which forces parents with prams, disabled people and the elderly to step into the road to get around them.

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In a bid to crack down on this, Lime explained that it is currently engaging in a major lobbying campaign in London, trying to move beyond disputes with councils over bad e-bike parking. The e-bike operator also announced plans to hire 100 additional staff to check bikes on London’s streets.

The Lime spokesperson added: “We appreciate the support of our riders in alerting us to issues they discover with our vehicles. We regularly remind riders to check key components of a vehicle prior to starting a ride.”