Dockless Bikes Seized as City of London Cracks Down on Parking

Lime and Forest paid £25,000 in fines to retrieve their property and are negotiating solutions with transportation authorities.

1 minute read

February 12, 2025, 8:00 AM PST

By Christine McLaren


Two electric dockless bikes parked on sidewalk in London, UK.

Dockless bikes parked on sidewalk in London, United Kingdom. | Travers / Adobe Stock

The City of London Corporation cracked down this week on dockless e-bikes not in compliance with “good parking behaviour,” seizing over 100 Lime and Forest bikes from the city’s Square Mile financial district and issuing a total of nearly £25,000 in fines to the companies.

The seizure continues a growing controversy in several London boroughs around the swelling numbers of dockless shared bikes, and issues around parking, according to an article in The Standard.

“Last year Brent council threatened to evict Lime because of issues with abandoned bikes, but eventually struck a compromise deal,” writes Ross Lydall. “According to the City corporation, the crackdown was taken ‘to encourage hire operators to manage their own fleet and customers to comply with good parking behaviour’.”

Lime has offered £5 million to London boroughs to build 2,500 designated bike parking bays and is working with the city to come up with collaborative solutions which Shravan Joshi, the City’s transport chief, called “welcome news.”

The seized bikes were returned to the companies with a £235 release fee per bike — the City’s cost of removal and storage.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 in The Standard

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 4, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

Aerial view of large complex of apartment buildings surrounded by fall foliage trees in suburban Dallas, Texas.

Renters Now Outnumber Homeowners in Over 200 US Suburbs

High housing costs in city centers and the new-found flexibility offered by remote work are pushing more renters to suburban areas.

June 6 - Point2

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6 - PC Magazine

Worker in hard hat stands in front of oil pipeline under construction with yellow heavy equipment.

Supreme Court Ruling in Pipeline Case Guts Federal Environmental Law

The decision limits the scope of a federal law that mandates extensive environmental impact reviews of energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects.

June 5 - NPR

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.