It’s The Users, Not The Supply…

Londoners are calling for the end of Lime Bikes in the capital after they were spotted blocking entire pavements.

A call I heartily support! There's a bike stand outside the office but these things lie on their sides littering the pavement all around it, they are a menace.  

A shocking picture posted to the Reddit group, r/London shows a large area of a street taken over by a parked Lime Bikes. Captioning the post, Reddit user ldn6 said: "Lime Bikes are blocking entire pavements and side streets. This is getting ridiculous." Now, a debate between Londoners has seen many call the hire bikes a 'nuisance' and have described the parking situation as 'ridiculous'.

It is, but the issue is the users of them. 

Commenting on the Reddit post, many suggested that the bikes may create an issue for wheelchair and pram users, as one local said: "Between these and bins on the paths, you don't realise how bad it is until you have a pram.

Others suggested that the problem could be solved by fining Lime: "The bike companies should be fined.

"If you put the burden of fining poor users on the companies that run the bikes, they would soon find ways to be more responsible."

Good point, but why is no-one suggesting fining the users as well? They are traceable. 

A Lime spokesperson said: "We never want Lime’s e-bike to obstruct anyone’s journey and we recognise that one of the most significant challenges facing our industry is the issue of overcrowded parking bays.

"We are working behind the scenes with boroughs to help create more parking bays across London.

What are you doing about the users who ignore them, though? 

"We have a team of 250 people that help to move mis-parked bikes and clear overcrowded bays. We encourage the public to report instances of overcrowding so our team can quickly move and redistribute bikes.

And what penalties do the users of those 'misparked' bikes face? Is it nothing? It is, isn't it? 

"If our vehicles are causing a hazard or obstructing traffic, we aim to respond at pace, with the majority of vehicles moved within one hour of being reported."

Start charging a penalty charge for every obstructively parked vehicle, and you'll soon see a change.