A new law is about to hand sweeping licensing powers to TfL to create a single city-wide regulatory framework for dockless e-bike operators, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter, and James Cracknell
Transport for London (TfL) must provide interim guidance on e-bikes until new licensing powers are fully implemented, a mayoral candidate has said.
Sarah Olney, who has declared her interest in running for City Hall for the Liberal Democrats, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that Londoners cannot afford to wait for legislation to catch up before Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan acts on the issue.
Dockless e-bikes have continued to explode in popularity in recent years in London, and now account for a tenth of the 1.5 million daily cycling journeys made in the city, according to TfL estimates.
However, campaigners have called on authorities to hold providers to account over irresponsibly parked vehicles, which can often block pavements and reduce space for pedestrians, especially those with mobility or sight issues.
Local authorities across the capital have seized 3,393 hazardously parked or abandoned e-bikes this year, a figure already 23% higher than the number seized during the whole of 2025.
Councils can currently sign individual deals with different operators, leading to a patchwork of access across the capital for different companies.
In Enfield, the new Conservative-led council recently blocked Lime from operating in the south of the borough despite the previous Labour administration having agreed a deal. It’s now emerged that this was because of “concerns about their operations, bikes being abandoned and causing obstructions”.
Lime and Forest bikes have been permitted access to Haringey for the past two-and-a-half years, but last year a disability group warned they were they were turning the borough “into a death trap”.
In Waltham Forest, after the Green Party took power in May, the council recently launched a public consultation about allowing Lime, Forest and other e-bike rental companies to operate in the borough, in response to high public demand.
But in Barnet, no e-bike operators have yet been permitted.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, passed earlier this year, has handed sweeping licensing powers to TfL to create a single city-wide regulatory framework for dockless e-bike operators in a bid to resolve these borough-by-borough variations.
The act empowers TfL to legally licence e-bike operators and potentially cap the number of bikes on London’s streets if necessary. It will also be able to dictate where the bikes can be parked, and fine operators who fail to comply either with parking or safety standards.
However, secondary legislation is still needed to bring this into force, with the network unable to introduce any measures until this happens. In June, the mayor admitted that the act would not have an impact on Londoners until early 2027.
“The problem is a lot of the powers we would get flow from the need for secondary legislation,” he told the London Assembly.
“The good news is this can be done through committee rather than the full floor of the house. No need for primary legislation; it can be secondary.
“Our officials speak to the Department for Transport about what we would like to see in the secondary legislation – as she will be aware, once it is published it is very difficult to amend it – we are trying to get involved in influencing our experience in London in relation to this.”
In the meantime, Olney said, City Hall should publish city-wide guidance on standards, accessibility and enforcement that providers can sign up to until the legislation comes into force.
“The mayor doesn’t need to wait for every last piece of legislation to be signed off before he acts – he could publish guidance today on parking standards, accessibility and enforcement,” she told the LDRS.
“By not delaying until legislation catches up, operators, boroughs, businesses and commuters will all know what’s coming and can start planning around it.
“Every month of delay means more bikes blocking pavements, more blind and disabled Londoners unable to get around safely, and a missed opportunity to get ahead of the problem instead of just reacting to it.
“A single, London-wide approach – sharing best practice across all 32 boroughs rather than leaving each to fend for itself – is exactly what operators like Lime say they need to justify further investment. The mayor can and should give them that certainty now.”
A spokesperson for Khan said: “The mayor welcomes the government’s plans to give cities powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes – something he’s been calling for since 2017 when the first schemes arrived in London.
“TfL and the mayor are working closely with the Department for Transport on the secondary legislation required to implement these much-needed controls as quickly as possible.
“Dockless e-bike services are helping thousands more Londoners to cycle, but it is vital that stronger rules on safety, data sharing and parking are at the heart of any future regulation to ensure the industry can continue to thrive.
“The mayor continues to urge all dockless operators to fully engage with London boroughs and TfL to ensure their services work well for all Londoners.”
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