Thousands of ebikes seized by London councils as anger rises over blocked paths
London councils have seized over 3,000 dockless ebikes this year due to issues with hazardous parking and blocked pavements. Rental companies like Lime and Forest are facing increased pressure from local authorities and disability advocates to improve management of their fleets.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing tension between the adoption of green urban transport and the need for public safety and infrastructure regulation in major cities.
Lime, the California-based bike rental company, accounted for more than 2,000 of the seizures this year, according to figures from 19 reporting authorities. Lime, the California-based bike rental company, accounted for more than 2,000 of the seizures this year, according to figures from 19 reporting authorities. Cycle hire schemes 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
Prefer the Guardian on Google London boroughs have seized at least 3,000 ebikes this year, a Guardian investigation has found, as hire companies face growing calls to stop bicycles littering streets and blocking pavements.
Local authorities across the capital have seized 3,393 hazardously parked or abandoned ebikes so far this year, 23% higher than the number seized during all of 2025.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in