Thousands of ebikes seized by London councils as anger rises over blocked paths
Operators blame lack of parking and councils bemoan lack of central regulation, as more than 3,000 badly parked bikes seized
TL;DR
- London boroughs have seized 3,393 ebikes this year, a 23% increase compared to all of 2025.
- Lime accounted for over 2,000 seizures, followed by Forest (978) and Voi (103).
- Campaigners and disability groups report that irresponsibly parked ebikes obstruct pavements, causing safety issues for pedestrians, including the visually impaired and wheelchair users.
- Councils are struggling with a lack of centralized regulation across London, making it difficult to manage different policies and operators.
- The English devolution bill grants local authorities new powers to license ebike operators, with Transport for London expected to establish a capital-wide framework.
- Ebike operators argue that councils are not investing enough in parking bays to meet demand.
- Companies acknowledge the parking challenge and state they are working with boroughs to encourage responsible parking.