Lime bikes (and other hire companies) left in middle of pavement

[first mate]

Walking along Lordship Lane today, including side streets, I encountered five instances of pairs of electric Lime Bikes left in the middle of the pavement blocking it. Just not acceptable.

Over the summer I have seen more of these bikes left lying around, blocking pavements. What is going on and why do bike users think this is okay?

[Jenijenjen]

Also the jumble of e scooters left outside superdrug which often extends well into the middle of the pavement creating a trip hazard for pedestrians and an obstruction for wheelchair users and push-chairs. When the pavement was widened a few years ago, the reason was to make things easier for pedestrians but now the situation is far worse.

[Nigello]

Ban people? Some folk are responsible and others aren’t. Best thing you can do is move a badly placed bike or scooter to a safer place.

[ab29]

These bikes are very heavy and not at all easy to move. They shouldn't be there in the first place full stop. It's nothing else but producing and scattering more rubbish around - and taking space from pedestrians. One was left in front of the Guy's hospital recently, right in the middle of a pavement; a patient tripped over, thankfully nothing happened.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Certainly there are renters who are being thoughtless and leaving them in stupid places. However at least some of them (particularly the ones in pairs or groups?) have been dropped off there by Lime's own drivers after repair/ recharge/ redistribution. I came across a cluster of about 8 bikes and a scooter that had appeared overnight - dumped on a narrow pavement at a zebra crossing. Wankers!

It shouldn't be necessary to fix other people's failures (I have plenty of my own) but I do try to take 30 seconds to move them if I see one that's blocking something. They are quite heavy. The rear wheel is locked so the easiest way to move them is to lift the rear off the ground slightly and roll them out the way on the front wheel.

[Twoddle]

Never used one myself, the web site is rather minimalist and says nothing about where you're supposed to leave them although I wouldn't just leave it in the middle of the pavement with a puncture like one I just saw!

[first mate]

It just seems so incredibly thoughtless and frankly stupid, more akin to the actions of young children, especially the bikes and scooters that are left lying in the middle of paths. Unless it is actually mostly kids doing it?

The state of the pavement outside Superdrug today was something else too. It is starting to look a right old mess.

[first mate]

Sorry, DKHB, missed your comment that possibly Lime employees are responsible for some of the random pavement bike dumpings? If that is so, I'd hope the Council takes note and does something about it. A wheelchair user or even someone with limited mobility could be severely affected.

[noelewilson]

this is a hazzard to pedestrians especially outside the the chemist at northcross road they show no consideration to to the marked section on the pavement

[NewWave]

Also the jumble of e scooters left outside superdrug which often extends well into the middle of the pavement creating a trip hazard for pedestrians and an obstruction for wheelchair users and push-chairs. When the pavement was widened a few years ago, the reason was to make things easier for pedestrians but now the situation is far worse.

 

I too was appalled by the amount of escooters scattered in the above location.

If someone was partially sighted they could easily take a tumble over them.

It also narrows the pavement at a busy junction.

And let us not forget these scooters are also sometimes used by street robbers.

[Nigello]

Best to contact the operators to show your concern. It’s unlikely they’ll be reading this.

[first mate]

I beg to differ. Sections of public space in key areas have been put at the disposal of this company and their users. I'd think it perfectly reasonable for our councillors to liaise with the organisation on our behalf and that sort of intervention is likely to be a good deal more effective too.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

1) a user has to complete a short briefing in the app before they can hire a bike or scooter. The app tells them they must not leave the bike or scooter somewhere that blocks pavements or inconveniences others. It's not rocket science anyway

2) when you complete a rental, you are prompted to take a photo in the app of where you have left the item to prove it is not blocking anything. I don't know whether anyone ever looks at the photos to check

3) it is not easy to report badly parked vehicles through Lime's website or app. You have to complete a multifield form. Contrast that with how easy it is to rent an item - you just scan its bar code.

4) in theory the scooters should be less problematic than the bikes, as the scooters can ONLY be left in the little parking bays (otherwise the operators fines the user). In practice...one other thing to note is that the scooter bays are mostly on the pavements instead of on the roads (where perhaps they should be) because that would mean "losing" a car parking space (which is perhaps what should happen).

5) the solution to this is for the council to start fining Lime or confiscating the bikes. This will give Lime the incentive it needs to ensure its users are not parking stupidly. If you park a Zip Car vehicle on the pavement, the council tickets Zip Car, and Zip Car forwards the ticket (and a chunky admin fee) to the user.

[first mate]

DKHB, completely agree and hoping Councillors see this thread and think about drawing a line in the sand, before it gets out of control. It absolutely should be the council who sort this with the relevant organisations.

[legalalien]

Agree re the difficulty of reporting - not so much because it's a multifield form but because I have to give them my personal data, which I don't want to do. There are two parked at varying angles across the footpath in my road this morning, about 20 metres from each other.

[ianr]

Westminster council have reportedly been actively concerned following complaints there.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/londoners-furious-cyclists-keep-dumping-24625482

https://www.onlondon.co.uk/westminster-council-tells-dockless-bike-hire-operators-they-have-responsibilities-to-pedestrians/

[Bic Basher]

The place where Lime has been allowed to leave their scooters is totally unacceptable.

I also seen a Lime bike dumped on the Lordship Lane Estate on the footpath outside Bew Court. Then again Zip Cars have also been left on the estate previously.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

DKHB, completely agree and hoping Councillors see this thread and think about drawing a line in the sand, before it gets out of control. It absolutely should be the council who sort this with the relevant organisations.

 

I don't think you can just post on here and hope that a councillor sees it and hope that they do something about it. With the best will in the world, "someone online said they saw one dumped somewhere at some point" isn't really much to go on...

If you want it fixed - and it's no guarantee - take a photo, email it to the council CC your councillor, and demand it is fixed.

[Lebanums]

Westminster council have reportedly been actively concerned following complaints there.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/londoners-furious-cyclists-keep-dumping-24625482

https://www.onlondon.co.uk/westminster-council-tells-dockless-bike-hire-operators-they-have-responsibilities-to-pedestrians/

 

They have now taken action https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/council-seizes-dockless-bikes-blocking-pavements

[Siduhe]

May be related - I got a general email from Lime (I regularly use their bikes in the centre of town to get around, not used them in SE22 but they obviously know I live here!) earlier this week with a warning/reminder about parking bikes so they don't obstruct pavements, the issues it causes for the elderly and less able and it showed a map of SE22 and surrounds on the email. Sure it's auto-generated but thought that was interesting

[LMCPR]

Ban people? Some folk are responsible and others aren’t. Best thing you can do is move a badly placed bike or scooter to a safer place.

 

Or take a photo and send it to LIME or Southwark Council. Where there's blame there's a claim.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The answer is to provide marked, on street parking bays for them, as they do in Camden.

There are none for the hire bikes and the scooter bays are for some reason on the pavement, not the road.

Every street should have one or two parking spaces on the street marked out for hire bikes.

[first mate]

Not sure that is the answer. If, despite marked areas on the pavement, bikes are just left lying around surely the same will happen on the road.

[Rockets]

Unfortunately this is a problem every where e-scooters are promoted as a means of active travel. I was in Munich some years ago and the locals were complaining about the growing problem of dumped e-scooters.

And remember the council is actively promoting, and making money from, these trials so they want to see more providers and hence more scooters blocking our pavements until they select the winner. When is the winner due to be selected? In the meantime the e-scooter providers will be carpet bombing more of their product onto the streets.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Every street should have one or two parking spaces on the street marked out for hire bikes.

Or the bikes could just be parked on the street like motorbikes.