Council seizes 1,000 'dangerously parked' e-bikes

Kensington and Chelsea Council said people were "sick" of bikes blocking footpaths

One thousand rental e-bikes have been seized by a west London council since the start of the year.

Kensington and Chelsea Council said it has been removing what it described as dangerously parked bikes since January after residents complained of trip hazards and blocked pavements and roads.

Bikes from Lime, Forest, Bolt and Voi have been taken off the streets and placed into storage.

Lime and Forest, two of the largest e-bike providers across the capital, previously said they were committed to improving their service and tackling pavement blocking.

The council said it had collected more than £81,000 in seizure and storage fees from operators so far. The money is being reinvested to expand enforcement.

Johnny Thalassites, lead council member for planning and environment, said residents were "sick" of bikes obstructing roads and pavements.

He said 1,000 dangerously parked bikes had now been seized and operators were clearing bays more often as a result.

"E-bikes have boomed and they are a convenient way for people to get around, but legislation is lagging behind," the Conservative councillor said.

"Long term, we need a solution from government about how the demand and operations are managed by the providers."

The council's street enforcement team has been bolstered since July with additional staff from Kingdom Local Authority Support, a private contractor that provides enforcement officers for local councils.

Officers respond to reports from residents and carry out patrols, particularly around hotspot areas such as Harrods, the council said.

Bikes are removed under the Highways Act when they obstruct pavements, are likely to fall over or endanger road users.

Kensington and Chelsea has 246 designated parking bays for rental e-bikes, compared with an estimated 3,000 across London.

Where bikes are left outside bays but not causing an obstruction, operators are notified and given two to six hours to move them. If they fail to do so, more bikes risk being seized.

On the issue of parking, a Lime spokesperson told BBC London last month that they recognised a significant challenge in e-bike parking and they "never want our bikes to get in anyone's way".

The company said it helped fund more than 3,250 parking bays in London, had increased its on-street team, and continued to work with councils.