Dockless bike riders who carelessly dump their cycles in central London could face more fines under the latest crackdown aimed at keeping the West End's streets and pavements clear.
Westminster council has struck a “pioneering” agreement with Lime that will see the e-bike rental company share real-time information on the location and number of vehicles across the borough.
The move is designed to tackle growing frustration over abandoned and badly parked bikes cluttering pavements, while helping officials identify trouble spots before they become a nuisance.
Under the deal, the town hall and Lime will manage the borough's eight square miles on a ward-by-ward basis, ensuring bike parking bays are properly used and preventing excess numbers building up in particular locations.
The partnership comes as Lime expands its enforcement measures against riders who ignore parking rules.
Riders who repeatedly leave bikes outside designated parking areas are more likely to face escalating penalties ranging from £2 to £10, with persistent offenders being banned from the platform.
Council leader Paul Swaddle said: "It is no secret that carelessly parked dockless bikes are a key concern for local people and my administration has made tackling this issue an early priority.
"I am pleased Lime are working with us to manage this issue. Dockless bikes are now a major way of getting around the City, and we want people to have that choice.
“We need to match that with keeping pavements clear and ensuring parking bays are well managed.
"Working more closely with Lime, I am hopeful we can build a much more accurate hour-by-hour intelligence picture of where bikes are and stop issues before they arise."
Westminster council said the “pioneering new deal” will “keep the West End clear of discarded dockless bikes” by using enhanced data-sharing arrangement to speed up responses to resident complaints and businesses, allowing Lime's operational teams to be deployed more quickly to problem locations.
The town hall added that it is planning a summit of operators in a bid to coordinate enforcement and parking standards across the city..
It comes after neighbouring Kensington and Chelsea council slapped operators with £210,000 in fines, storage and release fees since the town hall began its enforcement action against dockless e-bikes in January 2025.
Jack McKenna, Lime's Senior Policy Manager, said: “We’re continuing to invest in e-bike parking in the borough, and will be strengthening our on-street team of parking patrollers who work seven days a week tidying and removing excess bikes in busy locations.
"As e-bike usage in Westminster continues to grow, working with Cllr Swaddle and his team on a collective approach on a localised, ward level will enable us to tackle hotspot areas, deliver parking bays and ensure that our service works for everyone in Westminster, whether they are a cyclist or not.
"We welcome Cllr Swaddle's commitment to ensuring that cycling in Westminster continues to grow and we look forward to working with the Council to deliver an improved service for residents, commuters and visitors alike."
