Lewisham council has reached an agreement with e-bike operators Lime and Forest “to expand and improve the operation of dockless e-bike schemes around the borough”.
The popularity and use of rental e-bikes has surged in recent years as growing numbers use them as an alternative to car journeys or public transport.
But the rise in usage has has sparked growing demands for regulation as large numbers of e-bikes are abandoned on pavements, causing hazards for pedestrians.
Lewisham says it has seen a huge increase in the number of journeys made by dockless e-bikes in the past few years, with more than 2.7 million trips in Lewisham in 2025 alone.
The council says it has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),with operators Forest and Lime, that gives it the power to remove non‑compliant, unsafe or badly parked bikes and take robust action where needed.
In future, e-bike operators will have to remove dangerous or obstructive bikes removed within two hours and other non-compliant bikes within 24 hours otherwise bikes will be seized and stored.
Operators will be liable for any costs to the council. Income raised by this enforcement will be invested back into the programme to deliver and maintain dockless bike bays.
Lewisham says that if operators fail to act it can remove bikes parked outside designated bays and any bikes that are dangerous or causing an obstruction.
The council has adopted an Active Travel Strategy to make walking, scooting, and cycling the preferred ways to get around the borough with the aim of reducing reliance on cars.
Lewisham says it is continuing to deliver its dockless bikes programme, setting up bays where dockless e-bikes must be parked.
There are now almost 200 bays across the borough and the council aims to increase this to around 300 bays at a distance of at least every 400m by the end of the year.
Each operator will have an initial maximum fleet of 960 bikes which may be increased as new bays are introduced.
A dense network of designated bays for dockless e-bikes will help “improve parking compliance”, reducing the number of e-bikes from being parked obstructively.
LimeBike is a Californian company which had revenues of $686m (£512m) in 2024. Forest was founded in London in 2019 and had revenues of £22.5m in 2024.