Ministers to target ‘wild west’ of e-bikes blocking pavements

Exclusive: Consultation led by Department for Transport will consider parking standards, fleet sizes and insurance requirements

Ministers are seeking to end the “wild west” of parked e-bikes blocking pavements, as they attempt to crack down on antisocial behaviour such as cyclists jumping red lights.

The consultation, led by the Department for Transport, will aim to establish national standards on issues including parking, ending the current patchwork of agreements between individual bike companies and councils.

While some areas enforce rules that mean shared bikes – such as those operated by Lime, Forest and Voi – can only be left in designated parking bays, elsewhere the rules are looser, prompting complaints about bikes blocking pavements, particularly for wheelchair users, people with pushchairs and those with impaired vision.