Local leaders in England would license shared e-bike schemes under government plans
A consultation open until 31 December proposes national standards on parking, fleet sizes and rider behaviour, with possible insurance rules for operators.
Councils and mayors in England would be able to decide which shared e-bike companies operate on their streets, and on what terms, under proposals published by the Department for Transport on Thursday.
At present the rules differ from one area to the next. Some places only let riders leave hire bikes in marked bays, while others are far looser. Operators such as Lime, Voi, Beryl, Dott, Forest and Bolt would instead need a licence from the local leader, who could then enforce a set of national minimum standards.
Licence conditions
Under the plans, a licensed scheme would need:
- a parking plan, so bikes do not get in people's way
- a plan for dealing with antisocial and illegal riding, such as riding drunk, underage or on the pavement, with clear penalties, for example fines
- a fleet management plan with a set number of bikes and a defined operating area
- a maintenance plan to keep the bikes safe
Operators may also have to carry insurance so that a person hit by someone on a shared bike can claim compensation.
The consultation also asks whether local leaders should be able to charge operators fees and make them share data, which the department says would help with enforcement and journey planning.
London
In the capital, where standards can vary by borough, the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, is working with the Mayor of London and Transport for London on handing new powers to TfL so that one set of rules applies across the city. Forest, one of the London operators, puts the number of shared e-bike trips in London at around 350,000 a day.
The sight loss charity RNIB said 92% of blind and partially sighted people had told it they had been forced to walk into the road because of street obstacles such as e-bikes. It welcomed the plans but said a local approach must not end up as a patchwork of different rules.
Anyone can respond to the shared cycle scheme licensing consultation on GOV.UK until Thursday 31 December 2026. The government would then need to bring in legislation to put the changes into effect.
