New powers to seize e-bikes that obstruct paths

Ealing Council has approved new powers to seize e-bikes without a court order when they pose a danger to pedestrians or cause obstructions.

At a full council meeting on 13 October, councillors voted to delegate additional statutory powers to senior officers as part of the council's effort to strengthen its e-bike enforcement policy.

The proposed changes also require e-bike rental companies to reimburse the council for the cost of recovery. Seized e-bikes will be transported and stored in a secure council-owned garage on a housing estate.

Voi argued it had performed well in the borough and there were no legal grounds to exclude it.

Ealing Council said this decision would "protect the council from obstructive incursions by an e-bike operator without an agreement in place".

The council report stated: "Immediate removal under section 149(2) is limited to bikes that present a danger requiring removal without delay; other nuisance cases require notice and, if necessary, a court order."

There are currently 1,800 dockless e-bikes in Ealing, operated by Forest and Lime under contracts with the council set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

However, Voi continues to operate in the borough despite not being awarded a new contract by Ealing Council following its dockless e-bike trial earlier this year.

Councillor Dominic Moffitt said Ealing Council had formally requested that Voi cease operations and withdraw from Ealing, but Voi has refused to leave.

Councillor Moffitt has negotiated an updated MoU with operators that require them to clear reported obstructive bikes within two hours rather than four.

The council is transitioning away from virtual in-app parking areas and introducing 300 physically marked bays across the borough to avoid cluttered streets.

Residents are encouraged to report obstructive bikes and their registration numbers via the Love Clean Streets app to facilitate enforcement.

Additionally, in-app geofencing precision has been tightened down to a 10cm (almost 4in) accuracy to prevent riders from terminating rides outside of marked bays.

Lime and Forest will also be forced to fund additional on street "rangers" dedicated to rearranging incorrectly parked bikes.

This was previously attempted by the E-bike Enforcement Policy scheme launched in February 2026, which led to no fixed penalty notices being issued to operators.

Ealing Council said this was mainly due to limited staff capacity and the current requirements in the enforcement policy ensure that "operators are provided with a reasonable timeframe to remove bikes, in line with legislative requirements".

They added that the approved changes to the council's regulatory regime would focus on "collaborative working rather than punitive action as a starting point to address obstructive bikes".

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