Issued by: Department for Transport

We are taking action to give local leaders in England the power to stop nuisance e-bike parking, tackle antisocial behaviour and make journeys safer.

• new national standards to improve shared e-bike schemes, with clear rules for operators, riders and councils

• crack down on nuisance parking and antisocial behaviour to keep pavements clear and make journeys safer

• latest measure in Prime Minister’s series of everyday fixes to make life easier while putting more power in local hands

People across the country will benefit from safer and easier journeys, as Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to give local leaders the powers to stop ‘wild west’ e-bike parking and tackle antisocial behaviour.

Shared e-bikes, such as Lime, Voi, Beryl, Dott, Forest and Bolt, are an increasingly popular way to get around, making short journeys quick and convenient. New rules proposed by the government today (5 November 2026) would help make these schemes work better for everyone.

Local leaders will be able to licence schemes in their area, allowing them to enforce minimum standards and better integrate e-bikes into existing transport networks.

The shared cycle scheme consultation [https://tinyurl.com/yc5u8mae], launched today, sets out proposed national standards to make journeys safer for everyone and keep pavements clear, particularly for wheelchair users and families with prams.

Measures include:

• a parking plan – so they aren’t inconveniencing the public

• a plan for antisocial and illegal behaviour – to prevent users riding shared cycles drunk, underage, or on pavements, and setting out clear consequences such as fines for this behaviour

• fleet management plans, defined fleet sizes and operating areas – so bikes aren’t overcrowding streets

• a fleet maintenance plan – so that cycles are always safe to use

• potential insurance requirements for operators so people can claim compensation if they’re hit by someone on a shared cycle

The government is also consulting on whether local leaders should have extra powers, including setting fees and requirements for operators to share data to improve enforcement and journey planning. This will mean people can be confident their bike will work when they need it and that bikes will be available in the right places without cluttering up streets.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:

"E-bikes can make getting around that bit easier, but when they block pavements or are used irresponsibly, they can be a real frustration.

"I want to sort that by giving communities more control over where they are parked and making sure companies and riders play by the rules.

"While making the big, long-term changes to make transport better and more affordable for people across the country, this is a small but important everyday fix to make our streets safer."

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

"Shared e-bike schemes have revolutionised the way people travel around our towns and cities. They are easy to use, get us active and help reduce emissions, but we need to make sure they work with the communities where they operate.

"That’s why we are taking decisive action to give local leaders the power to stop nuisance parking, tackle antisocial behaviour and make journeys safer."

Operators have been calling for more regulation on shared cycle schemes, so they have greater certainty on where and how they run, putting an end to the patchwork of rules for operating in different areas.

This will give local authorities the tools they need to shape their streets to work best for the communities they serve, as part of a wider government move to put more powers in local hands, ensuring decisions are made by those who know local areas best.

In London, the Transport Secretary is working with the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) on devolving new powers to TfL to ensure the rules are implemented and enforced across London, ending the postcode lottery of different standards being implemented and enforced in different boroughs.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

"The ‘wild west’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue. While these services are helping thousands more Londoners to cycle, their rapid growth has also brought challenges around safety, inconsiderate parking and the lack of data needed to properly manage them.

"I’ve been calling for powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes since 2017, when the first schemes arrived in London, so I welcome the government’s plans to give cities the powers they need to do this. For too long, cities have been left without the tools needed to properly manage these services, despite clear evidence that the current approach is not working.

"I’m pleased to see the Department for Transport setting clear standards and empowering local leaders to better support vital growth in sustainable travel so we can keep building a safer, fairer, greener London for everyone."

The consultation continues the government’s commitment to helping make active travel a viable option for more people. £4.5 billion will be invested over the next 5 years, including a recent £104 million invested in the UK’s 12,000 miles worth of cycling routes – helping reach ambitious targets of getting over half of people to walk or cycle for short journeys in towns and cities [https://tinyurl.com/h62u8sbr].

Agustin Guilisasti, Founder and CEO of Forest, said:

"When I founded Forest, it was with the hope of a greener London, built around the people who live and work here. To see London becoming a cycling city is something to celebrate. But to achieve this, we need national standards and a coherent, well-regulated, London-wide system – better for riders and, importantly, better for pedestrians and the city.

"With around 350,000 shared e-bike trips taken every day in London, this is a real opportunity to work with government and local leaders to make cycling an easy, everyday choice. That means enough bikes in the right places and enough parking, so people can arrive easily and park responsibly – for calmer streets, cleaner air and a city that moves."

Wayne Ting, Chief Executive Officer at Lime, said:

"As the UK’s largest shared e-bike operator, we’re proud to have helped hundreds of thousands of people in the UK become regular cyclists – to the point that ‘Liming’ has become a verb. Millions of people now choose Lime to get to work, meet friends, run errands and more – making travel in cities across the UK easier, more affordable and less dependent on cars.

"Lime’s unmatched experience in working with cities to build and grow UK e-bike schemes means we know what it takes to make shared cycling work at scale. It’s why we recognise the current patchwork approach is confusing for riders, councils and operators, all of whom deserve greater clarity and certainty.

"Today’s consultation is an important step forward. We look forward to working with government and local authorities to help deliver schemes that work for riders, operators, and everyone in the communities we serve, all for a greener and more connected UK."

Eleanor Briggs, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs, said:

"We welcome the government’s consultation on introducing national standards for shared e-bike schemes, giving local authorities much-needed powers to tackle dangerous parking and unsafe use. For people with sight loss, badly parked rental e-bikes are a barrier to independent travel, blocking pavements, creating unexpected obstacles and making it harder to navigate safely.

"Guide Dogs frequently hears from people with a vision impairment about irresponsible and antisocial use of e-bikes on pavements, putting pedestrians at risk. We look forward to engaging with the consultation and working with government, local authorities and operators to ensure rental schemes are safe, accessible and work for everyone, including people with sight loss."

Mike Wordingham, RNIB’s Head of Policy, said:

"Dockless e-bikes are heavy, fast, silent and unpredictable. An astonishing 92% of blind and partially sighted people tell us they have had to walk into the road due to street obstacles such as e-bikes.

"We are glad the government is recognising this issue and putting forward plans to tackle it. But tackling rider behaviour will be difficult, and it’s vital the desire for local flexibility doesn’t lead to a patchwork of regulations and inconsistency in implementing them. Everyone deserves to feel safe.

"We urge the government to listen to blind and partially sighted people and work closely with operators and local authorities to make sure regulations successfully reduce the risk these bikes pose to people with sight loss."

National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said:

"Be it bikes, bins or cars, blocked pavements are unacceptable, particularly when they prevent disabled people from getting around safely. We absolutely need to sort this out.

"That’s why I’m delighted the government is stepping in to give local leaders the powers they need to tackle the problem and make sure these schemes work for everyone.

"But we shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Shared bike use is booming, and that’s exactly what we want to see – affordable, healthy, low-carbon transport, available when you need it. Whether it’s a short hop across town, the daily commute or an unplanned journey, shared bikes offer predictable journey times and another option when other transport is disrupted.

"The demand is clearly there. Now we need to manage that success properly, keeping pavements clear while enabling even more people to enjoy the benefits."

Christina Moe Gjerde, VP for Northern Europe at Voi, said:

"We welcome the government’s proposals to raise standards for shared e-bikes across the country. Voi operates thousands of shared bikes countrywide, and consistent national standards, backed by local licensing, will let responsible operators work with councils to keep pavements clear."

Georgia Heathman, Bolt’s Public Policy Manager for UK and Ireland, said:

"We welcome the government’s consultation on national standards for shared e-bikes and the opportunity to work with ministers, local authorities and the wider sector to shape them. Shared e-bikes give millions of people a safe, affordable and sustainable way to get around and they work best when they are carefully managed and respectful of the shared spaces we use.

"98% of Bolt rides already end with a correctly parked bike, which shows what clear rules and effective management can achieve. We want to see that standard applied consistently across the country, and support the consultation’s ambition to give local leaders the tools to licence schemes that suit their communities and raise the national bar.

"We look forward to contributing to the consultation and will continue to share live fleet data with local authorities to support the design of new bays and safer, more efficient streets."

Have your say on the government’s shared cycle scheme licensing consultation [https://tinyurl.com/yc5u8mae] by 31 December 2026.

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