Hundreds have signed a petition calling for dockless hire bikes in the borough, but the town hall says theft and pavement clutter are major concerns, reports Marco Marcelline
Some see the bright green dockless e-bikes as a godsend that allows for spontaneous, freeing travel across the capital, while for others, they’re a pesky nuisance clogging up our pavements.
Whatever your view, Lime’s popularity is undeniable. But try cycling to Leyton from Stratford or Walthamstow from Clapton and your green rental will suddenly beep, before slowing to an absolute stop.
While nearly half of Londoners aged 18 to 34 jump on a Lime bike weekly, Waltham Forest remains one of 15 boroughs not to allow them, a position the town hall says is due to pavement dumping and bike theft concerns.
But now 750 people have signed an online petition calling for the council to change its gears and allow Limes in the borough.
Carmen Christensen, a Leytonstone resident of five years, said she was moved to create the petition after constantly chatting with her friends about how “frustrating” it was that there were no Lime bikes in the area.
She told the Echo: “The south of Leytonstone is a bit of a public transport blackspot – it’s quite a long walk to Maryland and Leytonstone High Road Overground, so I rely on Lime bikes to get around, especially if I’m coming back from a friend’s place at night.”
Carmen says she finds Limes to be safer than night buses or even Ubers, but for the most part, she values the “freedom” and “accessibility” of Limes; the dockless bikes can be picked up and left just about anywhere in the boroughs that allow them.
She also states that Limes would improve footfall to local businesses, because it would mean “more people can conveniently bike to shops and restaurants”.
It’s a view that fellow Leytonstoner Lily Goulding shares. She says: “I love Lime – if it were in Waltham Forest I’d be getting one to work in Liverpool Street every day. It’s healthy, good for the environment – and if there are delays, it’s even quicker than getting the Central Line.”
Leanne Gaffney-Berkeley, Lime’s public affairs manager, told the Echo the company was “excited” to hear about the petition gaining traction.
The company has openly expressed its desire to expand to outer boroughs, including Waltham Forest. Meanwhile, amid concern at pavement dumping, in January Lime unveiled a £20 million London Action Plan to create 2,500 more dedicated parking spaces and grow its street team who remove faulty or damaged bikes from service.
But the council remains unconvinced that Lime would be a good idea for the borough, with deputy leader Clyde Loakes pointing to previously trialled dockless hire schemes with now defunct companies that were “unsuccessful”.
He said: “Operators found it difficult to maintain the bikes in an outer London borough and prioritised their inner-city service. We also experienced problems with dockless bikes being poorly parked and often blocking pavements, which especially impacts older residents, parents with prams, and disabled people.
“Following our trials, we have been closely monitoring other boroughs’ dockless schemes and note the widespread issues around theft of these cycles.”
The council currently offers residents the opportunity to borrow electric, manual, or cargo bikes for a small refundable deposit. However, the number of bikes on offer is limited and often subject to a waiting list.
As Lime expands to outer boroughs like Hounslow, Merton, and Barnet, Carmen hopes the council will eventually stop hitting the brakes on dockless hire bikes.
Find out more about the council’s bike borrow scheme here
Sign the petition here
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