Dockless e-bike operators in the Square Mile could be fined up to £10,000 unless they comply with new rules set out in a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed by the City of London Corporation. The deal, which includes operators Lime, Forest and Voi, introduces stronger controls and accountability measures.
New penalty regime for parking violations
The MoU, approved by the Corporation’s Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee on July 21, establishes a penalty system for poor parking compliance and other failures. Operators that repeatedly fail to enforce proper parking—for example, if there is a 25% or greater discrepancy between actual and expected enforcement actions—could face fines of up to £10,000. The agreement also requires increased financial contributions from the three operators, projected to generate £455,360 per year.
Background and expansion of the MoU
Last summer, the Corporation signed initial agreements with Lime and Forest to formalize practices such as payment for parking bay usage. The revised MoU expands to include Voi and adds stricter controls. The move comes amid a five-fold increase in dockless e-bike numbers in the Square Mile in summer 2025 compared to two years prior. While the bikes provide affordable active travel options, they have also caused frustrations over poor rider behavior and abandoned vehicles.
Committee members call for safety campaigns
During the sub-committee meeting, members urged operators to support campaigns promoting safety and courtesy among riders. Common Councillor Jacqui Webster, Deputy Chair of the Sub-Committee, said: “We are very good in this country at running flu jabs, drink aware, smoking campaigns. Why can we not do the same through our dockless bike operators?” Deputy Tom Sleigh noted that while management of e-bikes needs improvement, the growing number of riders aligns with the Corporation’s active travel goals.
Fixed Penalty Notice trial data
The Corporation conducted a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) trial from early March to the end of May. A total of 779 reports were issued to operators, with 310 removed due to unclear records. Of the remaining 469, 129 FPNs were issued, and 258 bikes were removed within 90 minutes. Lime had the most reports (449) and FPNs (90), followed by Forest (319 and 34) and Voi (11 and 5). The report states that issuing FPNs is now a business-as-usual activity alongside the new MoU penalties.
