A Soho resident said a scheme to tackle dockless bikes being dumped on footpaths has been “disappointing” – but the council has urged residents to be patient.
Jason Fisher-Jones said Westminster City’s scheme to create 320 e-bike parking bays has been “largely ignored” since it was introduced on Monday (October 9).
The resident, who is also a Soho Society board member, shared a photo of dockless bikes and e-scooters spilling out of designated parking bays into car spaces a day after the scheme came in.
Jason said: “The scheme can only be successful if it is strongly enforced by the council and by the operators.
“It is not clear that the operators are levying any penalties to those who park outside the permitted bays, and thus not changing behaviours.
“It’s disappointing the scheme is off to such a poor start already.”
The TV director said he is worried the issue will get worse as more bikes come into the West End.
Tim Lord, who chairs the Soho Society, said the council seems to be doing everything it can and said there is a lack of primary legislation on e-bikes.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, who leads on city management for the council, said it will take a few weeks for the scheme to take effect.
He said: “We’ve worked with the bike companies on a solution which means people can continue to cycle around the city safely and ensure the pavements are accessible for everyone.
“And the council continues to push for new legislation from government to regulate e-bike hire schemes across London.
“It will no doubt take a few weeks for all e-bike riders to get used to the new parking system, but we hope that very soon the vast majority will park their bikes safely in the new designated bays”.
Since Monday October 9, cyclists using TIER, Lime or Forest bikes will now have to park their bikes in designated bays to end their journeys, or they could face fines and even a ban.
As part of an 18-month trial, the council has extended a number of existing bays designated for e-scooters and repurposed underused car parking spaces and yellow lined areas into e-bike parking bays.
In addition to the 200 physical parking bays, more than 100 geofenced virtual bays have been created at under-used bike stands.
The council said it has worked closely with e-bike companies over several months to identify suitable locations for the parking bays, which will be rolled out during October and November.
It said geofencing will be used to get riders park designated bays, while those who don’t face being fined or banned from using the platform.
The council said bike companies have also employed rangers to make sure e-bikes are properly parked and to move any blocking the pavement.
Disability charity Scope welcomed the announcement and hopes more councils follow Westminster City’s lead.
Executive director James Taylor said: “It’s good to see a council taking this issue seriously. Leaving rental bikes and e-scooters across pavements and streets reduces accessibility for many disabled people such as wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.
“It creates a trip hazard for blind and visually impaired people. We are greatly concerned that bikes and e-scooters being left on pavements and crossings are hindering disabled people’s access and can be a real danger to getting around safely.”
He said many British streets are already narrow and hard to navigate and leaving bikes and e-scooters in the wrong places will make that task hard.
He said the attitude that rental bikes and e-scooters can just be left anywhere once someone has finished using them needs to change.
Alex Berwin, Forest Head of Policy, said the company was “acutely aware” of the issue of inconsiderate parking in the borough. He said the company is using geofencing measures and AI to encourage drivers to park properly.
Lime’s Hal Stevenson said the new bays were “a hugely positive and collaborative step forward”.
The head of policy said: “We’ll be supporting the launch with Lime’s Parking Wardens on patrol this week in Soho, rewarding riders that park in the new bays with some surprise golden ticket prizes to say thank you.”
Benjamin Bell, a senior director at TIER, added: “We welcome this bold, forward-thinking step to create an expansive network of parking bays for shared e-bikes in the heart of one of the world’s busiest cities.
“Shared micro-mobility helps people travel locally with ease while leaving the car at home, thereby easing congestion and improving air quality.
“The collaboration and openness from the Council has been so impressive. We are sure our users will adapt to the new system quickly and the wider public will benefit from this move to tackle clutter in Westminster.”
