Be angry at cars not bikes says Lime Bikes chief as he invests £20 million

Lime Bikes is to invest £20 million into parking and more for its pay-as-you-go ebikes in London, the company has revealed.

The announcement comes just a few months after Transport for London threatened to fine companies like Lime if they did not address anti-social pavement parking of their bikes, which are often left obstructing pedestrian walkways.

The company said on its website that the new 'London Action Plan' investment would "revolutionise ebike parking, enhance safety and make cycling more accessible for all Londoners".

In an interview with The Standard, Lime Bikes CEO Wayne Ting said that the city could become "another Amsterdam", and that his bikes would be there for the long haul – up to 30 years.

“I want to come back when I’m 60 and London is a predominantly cycling city – another Amsterdam where people are truly committed to another cycling first transportation system," he said.

When the issue of poorly parked Lime bikes was put to him, Ting said: “[I ask myself]: Why are you so angry about this one bike and not angry about the millions of cars parked on our streets every single day in London?

"It’s because we are used to seeing the cars and we have a belief that they have a right to our streets, and that cycling and other green transportation doesn’t. We have to earn the right to share the roadway.”

The issues with parking had occurred because demand for the bikes – which it says are used by 49% of 18-34 year olds in the city – had outpaced councils' ability to provide infrastructure and parking space for them.

Lime outlined a five-point action plan for its investment on its website, which comprises:

- £5m invested in parking infrastructure, including 1,500 spaces to be built within six months

- A £13.4m investment to bolster its on-street team by 60%. The on-street team is responsible for recovering and redistributing badly parked ebikes in busy areas. It will also increase its UK operations team by 80%

- Tech advancements to improve parking, including AI technology that will prevent bad parking as it happens

- £250K for a safe cycling campaign using education and deterrents

- A further £250K into its Share The Joy fund, supporting London Cycling Campaign in making cycling more attractive and accessible

Lime operates the largest share of dockless ebikes in London, with Forest and Tier also contributing to the fleet. There is also Beryl, whose newest machine Cycling Weekly colleague Tom Davidson took for a test ride last week.

Lime does not disclose the exact number of bikes it runs, it told the Standard, but it is estimated to be around 25,000-30,000, while Forest runs around 15,000.