A London authority has accused e-bike operator Lime of "corporate bullying" and "astroturf lobbying" following the company's unsuccessful bid to remain in the southwest borough.
Richmond Council issued a cease-and-desist letter to Lime last month, alleging the firm had been telephoning, emailing and sending app notifications to residents promoting a petition that calls on councillors to reverse their decision.
A council source told The Times: "When a losing bidder starts cold-calling residents, selling self-serving narratives to reverse a lawful decision, it stops being a competition and starts to look like corporate bullying.
"I believe the description for this type of thing is 'astroturf lobbying'".
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Councillors had selected rival operator Forest as the borough's exclusive e-bike provider, ending Lime's presence after years of service.
The financial terms of the proposed three-year contract have not been made public, though it is understood Forest submitted an offer exceeding £3million in concessionary payments to the council.
This figure represented roughly £1million more than Lime had put forward, with the size of payments to the authority among the key factors in determining the outcome.
The decision effectively bars Lime bikes from being hired or left within Richmond's boundaries, despite the company having operated there for several years.
Lime have operated in Richmond for years
| PAForest is expected to become the sole e-bike operator in the borough by summer, with formal contract negotiations between the company and Richmond council set to commence shortly.
The agreement has not yet been finalised.
A petition voicing "deep concern" about the decision's effect on local transport has gathered more than 1,200 signatures since a resident launched it last month.
The petition includes a six-point argument for retaining Lime - covering pricing packages and ride passes, while criticising what the organiser described as Forest's "imposed advertising model" that would "introduce advertising as a condition of lower-cost usage".
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Mark Glaister, Richmond's assistant director of procurement, wrote the cease-and-desist letter, sent three days after the petition appeared.
It read: "It has been brought to the council's attention via a resident that they have been contacted by email, phone and content 'pushed' to the resident, and presumably other residents of the borough, via the Lime app promoting a petition".
The council also alleged Lime had approached committee members ahead of a crucial meeting "in an attempt to influence" them, warning such conduct breached tendering rules and risked formal disqualification.
Lime rejected the accusations, maintaining the petition emerged organically from riders and local residents rather than through company orchestration.
The firm stated: "Richmond residents have relied on Lime e-bikes to make essential journeys since 2021. Details around the March 16 public committee meeting and vote were heavily publicised, and many residents were confused about what was happening and what the implications would be for them".
Lime explained it felt obliged to keep users informed about potential service changes, particularly given how similar decisions in neighbouring Hounslow the previous year had affected Richmond residents.
The company acknowledged the council's decision had been formalised and said it respected the outcome.
Richmond council offered a brief response, stating: "The letter in question was sent reminding a bidder about the rules around the process. We do not have any further comments to make at this stage".