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

[first mate]

I can see that the urge to populate road space with parked bikes might be a very attractive option for some, in that it further reduces car parking space. But, those with motorbikes tend to care about how they are parked, not least to reduce damage to the property they own.

Seeing the way hire bike users are leaving the bikes and scooters randomly strewn around I think leaving them in the road might create more negatives than positives. Of course, much depends on the ability of those using the bikes to behave like grownups and less like toddlers.

[Bic Basher]

Another bike rental outfit has left bikes on LL. HumanForest.

[Rockets]

Has anyone actually seen anyone using any of the e-scooters left outside Superdrug - they were encroaching onto the pedestrian crossing at the weekend.

[Glemham]

I am surprised that Southwark Council hasn’t taken this opportunity to raise more funds. Surely if people can be fined for driving through cameras at the wrong time, netting £6 million in one year, fining Lime every day their scooters and bikes are left strewn along the pavement can be another revenue stream.

Goose Green councillors use this forum, could one of them respond?

[Nigello]

FROM MONOCLE 16/08/22 NB Westminster council

Walking in London has become particularly unbearable in recent weeks – and it’s not just because of the rising temperatures. It seems as though the £20m (€23.5m) that e-scooter and e-bike company Lime invested in the British capital this year is finally bearing fruit. There are more riders, sure, but also more pavements blocked by these micromobility “solutions” left carelessly in the middle of thoroughfares, creating an obstacle course for pedestrians, particularly those with prams or in wheelchairs. And while I’m certainly not against increasing the number of e-bikes and (dare I say it) e-scooters on our streets to encourage people out of cars, users’ seeming inability to park them without making footpaths unpassable presents a major issue.

London isn’t alone here: cities from Madrid to Minneapolis are dealing with the same problem but who has the solution? Well, this week, Westminster council began seizing “nuisance” bikes that are left strewn across its streets. I welcome this move but I don’t think it should be the responsibility of local councils to clean up the mess: micromobility companies need to step up. Holding them accountable would be a good first move: if a Lime bike (or similar) is parked incorrectly, the company should be fined in the same way that a car owner might.

New York might be rolling out the infrastructure that will allow this to happen. The state legislature is currently working on a bill that will see cameras introduced to discourage cars from parking illegally in bike lanes, ensuring that those who ride have safe passage. Could there not be capacity for e-scooters and e-bikes littering footpaths to be policed by the cameras too? The logic stacks up: if cities and councils in the US, UK and Europe are intent on ensuring that people can cycle securely and comfortably, why not guarantee that they can walk that way too?

[Rockets]

I am surprised that Southwark Council hasn’t taken this opportunity to raise more funds. Surely if people can be fined for driving through cameras at the wrong time, netting £6 million in one year, fining Lime every day their scooters and bikes are left strewn along the pavement can be another revenue stream.

Goose Green councillors use this forum, could one of them respond?

 

The council is already making money from the trials - this is where, and why, it gets a bit sticky for the council as they are encouraging these providers to be part of the trial and the providers have to pay for the privilege so it makes if difficult for the council to then say - please don't dump e-scooters as you try to win the trial by carpet bombing your branded e-scooters everywhere whether people are using them or not.

[Bic Basher]

There has to be a more suitable place for the e-scooters than outside Superdrug? I nearly tripped up over one running for a bus this morning.

[OutOfFocus]

The council is already making money from the trials - this is where, and why, it gets a bit sticky for the council as they are encouraging these providers to be part of the trial and the providers have to pay for the privilege so it makes if difficult for the council to then say - please don't dump e-scooters as you try to win the trial by carpet bombing your branded e-scooters everywhere whether people are using them or not.

Suppose i rent my spare room to a lodger. I am "making a killing"out of the rent. This doesn't stop me telling him "do not sprawl in the garden".

[Rockets]

I think this one is a more of a case of you renting your room out to many lodgers and then not feeling like you can then tell them not to spill into the hallway! ;-)

The council really needs to do something, it’s getting ridiculous.

[Earl Aelfheah]

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.

 

There aren't marked spaces on the pavement for hire bikes. Only for the scooters. Hire bikes can be left anywhere. If every street had a couple of marked bays in the road specifically for hire bikes, and you were fined by the bike provider for not leaving them in a bay (as with the scooters), then this would largely solve the problem. You have to have enough bays though, otherwise the bikes lose their usefulness / convenience.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I suspect the reason that Southwark haven't done this, is because of the inevitable protestations about 'loss of car parking'. So they end up on the pavement.

[first mate]

Or just issue fines for leaving a bike lying across a pavement or road. There are possibly enough community/ parking wardens doing their ticketing rounds as well as CCTV cars to make the odd fine viable? You just need enough of a deterrent to make hirers think twice about where they are leaving the bike and whether it is a sensible choice. Who or what is stopping a cycle hirer leaving their cycle parked neatly on the road... nothing really, no need for special bays.

[ab29]

Or simply get rid of the trash altogether and return the space to pedestrians. Council need to find a different way of making money.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Council doesn't make any money from bikes, the same way it doesn't make any money from (normal) rental cars.

[Rockets]

They are making money from the e-scooter trial - there is a cost involved for each company to be involved in the trial and then I believe once the winners are selected they will pay the council for the privilege of running the service/having access to the streets for parking of the e-scooters. Pretty sure the bike providers will do the same.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

No. You are confusing two issues: scooters and bikes. There is no trial or special licensing regime for the bikes. The hire bikes are just like any other bikes in the world - they don't have to be parked in specific locations.

But none of this is difficult. The council just has to enforce the existing laws that prevent people blocking pavements - with bikes, scooters, A-frames, skips, whatever.

If there is a procedural problem with fining the owners of badly parked bikes or scooters instead of riders: they should fix it.

[Henry_17]

Disgusting behaviour with these bikes and “pop” bottles on Loughborough Road

[Spartacus]

BBC News - Dumped e-bikes causing accidents for blind people

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-62794829

[jazzer]

It's the selfish, thoughtless, dumb, inconsiderate morons that use these bikes and leave them in the most inconvenient places who need prosecuting.

If you use one of these bikes, don't just dump it and leave it up so someone else has to get the bike moved because you are a selfish moron and sort out your mess because you are a lazy so and so.

These bikes which cause or create an obstruction should be crushed."

Lime bikes

Contact number 0800 808 5223

[hammerman]

I've suddenly noticed an influx of these Lime bikes and scooters left everywhere in the North Dulwich/Denmark Hill area. Early one morning last week there were 4 or 5 of the things left in a stretch of pavement outside a few houses in the area and then more all around the Red Post Hill/Casino Avenue area.

It's not acceptable and just creates more street litter

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

It's the selfish, thoughtless, dumb, inconsiderate morons that use these bikes and leave them in the most inconvenient places who need prosecuting.

...

Lime bikes

Contact number 0800 808 5223

Not as simple as that. If there are 4-5 of them dumped in one place, it's probably not renters but Lime's own operatives that have left them there. As far as I can see, they're flinging them out of a van a few of a time. I have seen them dumped right on the bobbled flagstones of zebra crossing etc. This is a problem created by the rental companies.

What do you think actually happens if you call that number to complain about badly parked bikes?

[Bic Basher]

As well as pavements, they regularly dump bikes on Firemans Alley by the Dulwich Park entrance.

[jazzer]

It's the selfish, thoughtless, dumb, inconsiderate morons that use these bikes and leave them in the most inconvenient places who need prosecuting.

...

Lime bikes

Contact number 0800 808 5223

Not as simple as that. If there are 4-5 of them dumped in one place, it's probably not renters but Lime's own operatives that have left them there. As far as I can see, they're flinging them out of a van a few of a time. I have seen them dumped right on the bobbled flagstones of zebra crossing etc. This is a problem created by the rental companies.

What do you think actually happens if you call that number to complain about badly parked bikes?

 

Did that just yesterday and following regular postings about the issue and calling the number the bike was removed, job done, success.

[jazzer]

As well as pavements, they regularly dump bikes on Firemans Alley by the Dulwich Park entrance.

 

Ought to crush the damn things!!!

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

It's the selfish, thoughtless, dumb, inconsiderate morons that use these bikes and leave them in the most inconvenient places who need prosecuting.

...

Lime bikes

Contact number 0800 808 5223

Not as simple as that. If there are 4-5 of them dumped in one place, it's probably not renters but Lime's own operatives that have left them there. As far as I can see, they're flinging them out of a van a few of a time. I have seen them dumped right on the bobbled flagstones of zebra crossing etc. This is a problem created by the rental companies.

What do you think actually happens if you call that number to complain about badly parked bikes?

 

Did that just yesterday and following regular postings about the issue and calling the number the bike was removed, job done, success.

 

That's encouraging, well done. Too bad you had to do it in the first place!