London borough to introduce more e-bikes and e-scooter parking despite growing safety concerns

A London borough has launched plans to install hundreds of new dockless parking bays for e-bikes and e-scooters despite ongoing concerns about pavement accessibility.

Lambeth Council had given residents until December 6 to share their views on whether more e-bikes and scooter bays should be created in the area.

The expansion would increase the total number of bays to over 350, ensuring most residents can reach a designated parking area within a three-minute walk.

The initiative aims to address the growing issue of abandoned vehicles blocking pavements, which has become a significant problem for wheelchair users and those with pushchairs.

Under the new scheme, rental vehicles from operators including Lime, Voi, and Forest will need to be parked in designated bays rather than left on streets and walkways.

Residents are being urged to provide feedback on the planned locations through the council’s consultation portal.

The bays, ranging from five to 12 metres in length, will be created by removing existing waiting restrictions and parking places across the borough.

These designated spaces will be available around the clock for rental dockless cycles and electric scooters that are part of the London trial scheme.

Only vehicles from companies authorised by Transport for London will be permitted to use these bays, the council explained. In London, electric bikes can be ridden by anyone aged 14 or over without requiring a licence, registration, tax or insurance.

But these bikes must meet specific requirements, including having functional pedals and a motor with maximum power output of 250 watts.

The electric motor must not be able to propel the bike beyond 15.5mph, and the vehicle must display both the power output and manufacturer details.

Any electric bikes not meeting these standards are legally classified as motorcycles or mopeds, requiring registration and licensing as well as insurance.

Councillor Rezina Chowdhury said: “Lambeth Council supports the further expansion of sustainable forms of travel such as rental dockless bikes and scooters, but we also recognise the accessibility issues that parking on pavements and in high demand locations can cause.

“As more people use rental bikes and scooters, users need to be considerate to those who rely on a wheelchair or pushchair and who find blocked pavements a significant problem.

“It’s vital that when people are finished using rental scooters and bikes, they are stored safely in one of the new dockless bays rather than abandoned on the street for the next person to use.”

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Chowdhury added: “We are committed to improving the cycle hire infrastructure across the borough so we can encourage more people to try out more active ways to get around Lambeth like cycling, walking, scooting, or wheeling.

“We would urge rental bike and scooter users to be thoughtful of others and return them to one of the new dockless bays, even if it takes a minute or two longer to get to your destination.”