A London borough has launched a new enforcement programme which allows the authority to seize and store e-bikes and e-scooters creating hazards on pavements and roads, with operators bearing the costs of retrieval.
The initiative launched by Wandsworth Council began on September 1 and deploys dedicated enforcement teams to patrol the borough's streets and respond to public complaints about vehicles obstructing pedestrian routes.
As part of the enforcement, officers operating under the Highways Act can now confiscate electric bikes and scooters that block pavements, force people to walk in traffic, risk toppling over, or endanger road users.
Seized vehicles will be held at a secure facility, with operators required to pay a fee for their return, ensuring the programme operates without the additional burden on council tax.
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The council explained that the enforcement criteria target vehicles that create specific safety risks for pedestrians and other road users.
Officers will remove e-bikes and e-scooters found sprawled across roads, blocking traffic flow, or positioned on pavements in ways that compel pedestrians to navigate around them by stepping into vehicle lanes.
Vehicles deemed unstable and at risk of toppling, potentially injuring passers-by, will also be confiscated, along with those positioned dangerously in roadways.
The council has also established multiple channels for residents to report problematic parking, including an online reporting system, email contact and a telephone helpline.
The council has recorded numerous cases of e-bikes and e-scooters blocking pavements
|WANDSWORTH COUNCIL
Daily patrols will also monitor for violations across the borough, supplementing the response to public complaints about hazardous parking situations.
The council's approach extends beyond reactive enforcement, encompassing infrastructure improvements and collaborative efforts with operators.
The borough has already established 170 designated parking bays for e-bikes and scooters, with plans to install an additional 105 locations following resident consultation later this year.
Town centres feature strict no-parking zones, while areas outside these hubs require users to utilise designated bays if one exists within 100 metres.
The council has launched a new enforcement measure to stop e-bikes and e-scooters from being poorly parked
|WANDSWORTH COUNCIL
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Under current regulations, Lime and Voi e-scooters must be parked exclusively in designated bays and incorporate safety features including speed restrictions, permanent lighting, and rider licence verification.
The current enforcement programme builds upon previous efforts where the council periodically confiscated poorly positioned Forest and Lime bikes whilst working with operators to improve their management systems. The enforcement measures arrive as e-bike and e-scooter usage reach unprecedented levels across Wandsworth.
Recent data revealed that riders completed more than 7.7 million e-bike journeys in the previous 12 months, while e-scooter services, introduced in May, have already facilitated over 37,000 trips.
Monthly usage figures for both modes of transport have reached their peak since services commenced in the borough.
E-bikes have been growing in popularity across London | PACouncillor Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, acknowledged that electric bikes and scooters have become integral to Wandsworth's transport infrastructure.
"E-bikes and e-scooters are here to stay as a key part of Wandsworth's transport network. We are committed to sustainable travel, but it must be done responsibly," she stated.
Ms Yates noted that while more than seven million journeys had been completed by e-bike and e-scooter in the previous year, with most users parking appropriately, the minority who failed to follow regulations created unacceptable hazards.
She added: "However, even a small number of badly parked e-bikes and e-scooters can be dangerous and cause obstruction to pedestrians, which is unacceptable. This scheme is about making sure that when this happens, we act quickly to remove them, so our pavements remain safe and accessible for all pedestrians."