Authorities need to collect data on hire bike and scooter operators

Friday, 12th May

‘Fining the operators is the only option to encourage security improvement and regular reclaiming and repositioning of the bikes’

• I SUPPORT the views in John Stratton's letter (Treat the dumped hire bikes firms as fly-tippers, May 5), but would add the following observations.

It was reported in various media sources last October that Westminster City Council is already looking into a seizure scheme for dumped e-bikes in some parts of the borough.

Implementation needs to be accelerated and made borough-wide, along with provision of e-bike bays in busy areas, similar to the trial scooters.

One of the operators, Lime/OnUber, also charges their customers who leave bikes in bike-free zones (parts of the West End); this capability could also be required borough-wide for all operators to encourage/enforce bikes to be left appropriately.

The operators know who has hired a bike and where the bike was left; users have to have an account (to pay for the service) and the bike is unlocked using an application on a personal mobile phone, and hire terminated also by the application (e-scooters are hired the same way, with first-time users required to watch a short safety video).

Unfortunately it is possible for the bikes to be used by people who have not paid, and I would suggest these are more likely to be dumped inappropriately.

Fining the operators is the only option to encourage security improvement and regular reclaiming and repositioning of the bikes.

One other future key point that Westminster and other councils need to do: they must demand access to up-to-date, but anonymous, data covering cycle and scooter use and positioning. This is to govern the service and to allow analysis for transport improvements.

Other cities round the world have demanded this as part of licensing service, and the hire companies have reluctantly agreed if the local authority holds firm to their demand.

As a final point: technology is evolving to the point where it would be possible for technology on each e-bike and e-scooter to prevent them being ridden on pavements or pedestrian areas at speeds faster than a slow walk; or into pedestrians.

I think this would be sufficient discouragement against breaking the law, but allow reasonable access to off-street docking areas.

The city council, Transport for London and the Department for Transport all have a role in demanding such technology be implemented as soon as it is available, and certainly no later than 2030.

MILES THOMAS Address supplied