Kensington and Chelsea has seized 3,330 rental e-bikes since January 2025 and written to Lime, Forest, Voi and Bolt demanding change. The fee is now £100.
Kensington and Chelsea Council has written to the rental e-bike companies demanding they get their bikes off the borough’s pavements. Its officers have now seized 3,330 obstructively parked bikes since the crackdown began in January 2025.
More than 2,000 of those were taken this year. Operators have paid more than £381,000 in removal and storage charges. The council says the operators have agreed to meet it within the next month, and that “further enforcement measures” are being considered if nothing improves (Kensington and Chelsea Council, 30 October).
The charge for each seized bike has also gone up, to £100. The council has not said what it was before.
What the council is asking for
The letter tells operators to:
- take tighter control of how many bikes are on the borough’s streets
- stop designated parking bays from overflowing
- remove badly parked bikes “far more quickly”
- give the council live data, so it can check they are keeping to agreed bike limits
- join a sustained campaign telling riders to park properly and follow the rules of the road
The council says it is also looking at whether to change the Memorandum of Understanding it has with the operators. It is adding 27 new e-bike bays after a public consultation, but the release does not say where they will go.
Councillor Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Resident Services, Planning and Enforcement, said: “Seizing 3,330 e-bikes should have been a wake-up call, but we’re still seeing bikes dumped across pavements and spilling out of their designated bays. It’s simply not good enough.”
He added that nobody should have to step into the road to get past a badly parked bike, “particularly disabled people, older residents or parents with pushchairs”.
Councillor Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Transport, Parks and Clean Streets, said: “We’re doing our bit by introducing another 27 dedicated e-bike bays, but more spaces alone won’t solve the problem.”
How the seizures have grown
The operation started as a trial. In its first phase, officers took 42 bikes: 30 from Lime and 12 from Forest. Walton Place, near Harrods, was the hotspot for complaints at the time (Kensington and Chelsea Council, 13 March 2025).
By November 2025 the total had reached 1,000, with more than £81,000 collected (Kensington and Chelsea Council). The year ended on 1,315. By 1 June 2026 it had passed 2,500 (Kensington and Chelsea Council). It is now 3,330.
The council’s latest release does not split the total by company. Its June release did, covering January 2025 to 1 June 2026:
| Operator | Bikes seized | Fees incurred |
|---|---|---|
| Lime | 1,624 | £143,890.70 |
| Human Forest | 787 | £58,017.35 |
| Voi | 61 | £4,560.30 |
| Bolt | 44 | £3,630.35 |
Those four rows add up to 2,516 bikes. Lime alone accounted for almost two in three.
Why the council cannot simply ban them
The council’s own guide to e-bike regulation, dated October 2026, is blunt about its limits. It says no council currently has the legal power to stop a dockless e-bike company operating where and how it wishes.
It lists what the council cannot do. It has no power to:
- stop operators working in the borough
- enforce the maximum fleet size written into the agreements
- stop operators putting too many bikes in one place
- seize a bike unless it is parked dangerously
The agreements with operators are voluntary. Under them, an operator has 2 hours to remove an obstructively parked bike and 6 hours for one that is outside a bay but not in the way. Officers can only seize a bike on the spot if it is lying across the pavement, forces people into the road, is likely to fall, or endangers drivers.
The council could end an agreement. The guide calls that a last resort, and says it would not guarantee the company stopped operating.
What changes, and when
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 has received Royal Assent and creates a legal framework for regulating dockless bikes. It is not in force yet, because regulations still have to be written.
The council’s guide expects TfL to become the licensing authority in London, replacing the borough-by-borough agreements. Its anticipated timeline:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Late 2026 | Government consults on what should be regulated |
| Early 2027 | TfL and councils respond |
| Late 2027 | Government decides what TfL can regulate |
| Late 2028 | TfL begins regulating |
From late 2028 or early 2029, the council expects operating without a TfL licence to become unlawful, with fleet size, parking and data-sharing set by licence conditions. All of that is subject to the consultation.
What it means for you
If a bike is blocking the pavement, report it on the council’s online form. Reports go straight to the operator, and the council keeps a record of the location.
You can also contact the operator directly. The council’s e-bike hire page lists:
| Operator | Phone |
|---|---|
| Lime | 0800 808 5223 |
| Forest | 020 8157 7491 |
| Bolt | 0844 933 4578 |
| Voi | 07476 550190 |
If you ride one, you must start and end every trip in an approved bay. Some bays are marked on the road, and some only appear in the operator’s app. Leave a bike outside a bay and the council says your hire may keep running, the operator may fine you, and repeat offences can get your account suspended or closed.
The new 27 bays will add to the 245 spaces the borough had in June, 185 marked and 60 virtual. The council’s bay map is on the same e-bike hire page.
The council says the work sits under the “Clean Streets and Amazing Spaces” priority of its new Council Plan. For the borough’s other street rules, see our parking in Kensington page.
We will report what comes out of the operators’ meeting with the council.
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