London boroughs have seized at least 3,000 ebikes this year, a Guardian investigation has found, as hire companies face growing calls to stop bicycles littering streets and blocking pavements. Local authorities across the capital have seized 3,393 hazardously parked or abandoned ebikes so far this year, 23% higher than the number seized during all of 2025. Lime, the California-based bike rental company, accounted for more than 2,000 of the seizures this year, according to figures provided by 19 reporting authorities under a freedom of information request.
The rival bike company Forest ranked second, at 978 seizures overall, followed by Voi at 103. Dockless ebikes have surged in popularity in recent years as a cheaper and greener alternative to other modes of transport. One in 10 of the 1.5m daily cycle journeys in the city are made using dockless ebikes, according to estimates by Transport for London (TfL).
However, campaigners are calling on providers to do more to prevent buildups of their bikes on pavements and roads. Of these, nine said they did not seize or fine any bike operators, and three either did not reply within the deadline or said they did not hold the information. James Slater, a councillor in Camden, said ebikes had been left in resident parking bays and had obstructed traffic on roads.
Meanwhile, councils have bemoaned a lack of centralised regulation across London, which they argue would make planning easier. Slater said the regulation across London was like a “jigsaw puzzle”. In London, the new licensing powers go to TfL, which is expected to create a single capital-wide regulatory framework for dockless ebike operators.
The mayor of London’s office said it was working closely with TfL and the Department for Transport on the secondary legislation required to implement “much-needed controls as quickly as possible”. A spokesperson said: “It’s vital that safety improvements sit at the heart of any future regulation to ensure the industry can continue to thrive. The mayor continues to urge all dockless operators to fully engage with London boroughs and TfL to ensure their services work well for all Londoners.” Lime said the fact it was the biggest ebike operator in London should be taken into account when considering the number of its bikes seized, adding that these incidents mostly occurred at overcrowded parking bays.
A Voi spokesperson said: “Voi vehicles should never be parked in a way that blocks access routes, lift areas, pavements, entrances or emergency routes. We recognise the particular impact poor parking can have on disabled people, parents with pushchairs and people using mobility aids, and we take reports of obstruction seriously.”
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