Dockless hire bike operators Lime and Forest “must take action” to address poor parking and bad rider behaviour, Islington Council said in an open letter published last week.
The letter says "persistent problems are undermining the benefits” of Lime and Forest bikes in the London borough.
“These issues have been raised repeatedly but remain unresolved,” read the letter signed by council leader Una O’Halloran and councillor Rowena Champion.
Islington council said that progress must be made on a range of points, such as reducing obstructive parking and nighttime noise.
It also wants to be able to request geofenced no parking and go-slow zones on estates to address “access issues and antisocial behaviour”.
“To make hire bike usage a fair and sustainable option in Islington we need you the operators to act and do so swiftly, decisively, and effectively to protect residents and businesses from ongoing disruption,” the letter says.
“We welcomed you to the borough because of the benefits that hire bikes bring – but without urgent action on these issues, this welcome will be withdrawn,” it concludes.
The council says it has removed more than 200 dangerously placed bikes, although it has not specified over what period.
Forest’s head of policy, Alex Berwin, says millions of journeys are made using its bikes in Islington each year and the company remains committed to being a “responsive and constructive partner” to the council.
“We recognise that the service must work well for everyone, and we take the issues raised seriously. That is why we are investing heavily in better parking technology, in-app guidance and clear instructions to help users park responsibly and reduce street clutter. Our local team also responds quickly when issues are reported to help ensure bikes don’t cause obstruction or inconvenience,” Berwin says.
Berwin says Forest has responded to O’Halloran and Champion’s letter in detail.
In November, Forest launched a new pricing scheme to help redistribute Forest bikes across London.
In response to the open letter, Lime said it takes its partnership with Islington council “seriously” and is committed to working with the council to “minimise disruption for residents”.
“We’ve worked in partnership with Islington council for 6 years, and share their view that rental ebikes play a valuable role in improving congestion, air quality, and public health in the borough and across London,” Lime says.
In January 2025, Lime launched its London Action Plan to address ebike parking and safety. It says it has funded more than 1,100 parking bays in London this year and increased its “onstreet team” to more than 400 people.
Islington is the latest London council to initiate action on dockless rental bikes in the capital.
In August, Hounslow council ended its two-year trial of Lime bikes after they were claimed to be parked in dangerous places.
Hackney council also capped Lime bike fares at £1.75, making them the same price as a bus, in September.
But Lime has still gone from strength to strength in the UK, with its profits increasing by more than £40m in 2024.
Londoners made 16 million journeys by Lime during commuting hours in 2024, while the company saw an 85 per cent increase in total journeys. This summer, Lime also saw a spike in usage, partly due to the September tube strikes.
Transport for London estimates the number of daily cycling journeys in London increased in 2025 to 1.5m.
TfL also estimates that 10 per cent of the total daily cycling journeys in 2025 could have been made on dockless ebikes, such as Limes.
The City of London Corporation says dockless cycles have “quadrupled” in the city of London since 2022.
