Over 100 e-bikes seized to combat pavement blocking

More than 100 rental e-bikes obstructing pavements or roads have been seized by a London council.

The City of London Corporation said the e-bikes were stored in "a safe location" during the two-week operation.

The corporation said it had agreements in place with rental e-bike operators on parking, but launched its own crackdown in response to a number of complaints about e-bikes being left in unsuitable places.

Lime and Forest, two of the largest e-bike providers across the capital, have both committed to improve their service, according to the local authority.

Owning companies were able to collect their products after paying a fee to cover the cost of "removal and storage".

The council said there is a commitment for 300 additional parking spaces for e-bikes in the City of London.

Shravan Joshi, who chairs the corporation's planning and transportation committee, said the "challenges posed by bikes cluttering our pavements" were "undeniable".

He added that the authority will "keep up the pressure" to ensure operators' efforts to ensure e-bikes are correctly parked are "quantified and meaningful".

"The action plan from Lime is welcome news, particularly a funded programme that helps ensure we can continue to see dockless bikes on London's streets without causing disruption and obstacles to others," he added.

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