Lime has apologised and removed e-bikes from the London district of Penge after a visually impaired man claimed he was forced to take to a busy road to avoid e-bike clutter.

Jason Beal, who is blind, told The Standard that he was forced to wander into Kent House Road when his guide dog, Caine, refused to walk on a pavement blocked by e-bikes.

The issue is the latest in a series of problems Beal and his wife Jessica say they’ve faced in and around Penge.

“There have been a number of times the Lime bikes have been parked up or propped up against the tree or left over the pavement,” Jason told the Standard.

“Then I’ve got to stop, Kent House Road is quite a busy road. He (Caine) will refuse to go into a road at any time. So, I’ve got to make a decision to try to take him into the main road. That’s a very frightening experience for myself.

“Alternatively, there have been times when we have been walking up to the station and there have been loads of bikes parked up against where the tactile pavement is and I’ve had to go into the edge of the road there.”

Kent House Road
Kent House Road (Image Credit: Google Maps)

Jessica, who is also partially sighted, revealed that she faces problems due to e-bikes. “You never know when they are going to crop up and if you are going to hit one, or are they going to fall on you,” she said. “So, it’s quite scary just walking around.”

Beal, an assistive technology manager, and Jessica, who works as a marketing audience manager, took up the issue with their local MP, Liam Conlon, who intervened with Bromley Council and Lime.

“We cannot allow new barriers to be created for disabled residents who already face challenges getting around,” Conlon said. “As a disabled person myself, who was unable to walk for four years as a teenager, I understand these issues first-hand. It is something I take seriously, and something I will not accept.”

Lime and Human Forest bikes lined up in the hire bay
Lime and Human Forest bikes lined up in the hire bay (Image Credit: Islington Council)

Here, the plot thickened when Bromley Council’s Executive Councillor Simon Fawthrop found that Lime was operating in the borough without formal consent. After the council threatened Lime with impoundment fees, the micromobility company swiftly banned hires throughout the borough.

“We would therefore like to apologise to Jessica and Jason for the issues they have faced due to rider parking in Penge,” Lime said in an apologetic letter to the Beals. “To address the specific issue in Penge…we have made a change to the Lime app to prevent Lime bikes from being used beyond the Lewisham boundary until we can agree an approach that supports the roll-out of an effective local scheme, with appropriate parking locations.”

Lime is now working with Bromley Council to roll out a scheme that supports ‘appropriate’ parking solutions and prevents blocked pavements.

“I’m delighted that Lime have announced they are withdrawing their bikes from Penge – and would like to thank them for their cooperation, and for their apology,” said Conlon.

Regular readers will know how much of an issue pavement parking is, with London’s borough councils and e-bike hire companies getting stuck in a quagmire of micromobility benefits, revenue streams, and the needs of pedestrians. The answer seems to be in creating more dedicated on-street parking bays for e-bikes.

Lambeth Council recently announced a scheme to turn car parking spaces into e-bike hire spots — but a restaurant owner objected when Camden Council did the same thing outside his upmarket eatery. Meanwhile, Westminster made on-street parking bays permanent following a trial period.