Parking bays to tackle badly parked e-bikes in Westminster
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, hundreds of underused car parking bays have been repurposed with geo-fenced ‘virtual’ bays being introduced. The council 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.
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