A father, whose one-year-old son lost a finger after getting it trapped in the drivetrain of a dockless hire bike on a London pavement, has urged for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to tackle the “menace” of “these bikes on pavements”.

The incident happened in August, the toddler named Leopoldo being let out of his pram as his mother took him and his sister to meet their father after work in Westminster. The toddler put his finger on the chain of the Tier hire bike and then inadvertendly moved the bike’s pedal, trapping his finger in the drivetrain.

He was eventually freed by his mother who broke the chain with a pair of scissors, and then rushed to hospital where an emergency operation reattached the finger. However, it has been decided to amputate the majority of the finger on the advice of doctors who have been checking the injury since.

Speaking to the Telegraph newspaper, the boy’s father Ignacio said he had contacted the Mayor of London to call for “action” against the “menace” of dockless bikes being left on pavements.

Unlike the Santander Cycles scheme, in some locations other hire providers such as Tier and Lime do not require users to leave their bikes in docking stations. And while the apps have zones where parking is prohibited, the various providers’ bikes are a regular sight across London.

> Dott, Lime, Tier and Human Forest — a user’s eye view of London’s various e-bike share schemes

“We have contacted the Mayor of London and informed him of the awful event and we hope he tackles the current situation of these bikes on the pavements, which are causing a menace to Londoners. We want action, so nobody goes through what we have had to,” Ignacio said.

“This is ultimately the responsibility of Tier to make sure this does not happen. It is absolutely terrible what has happened to our family and the message we are trying to get out there is it shouldn’t be like this.

“Unfortunately, my son has lost his finger, and it is heartbreaking to see him like that. Due to the carelessness of Tier, his life will be changed forever, physically and emotionally.”

The family received a letter from Tier’s insurer who said no fault was found with the bike involved and that the company has been operating in 400 cities without another report of a trapping incident.

In a statement, Tier said it was “devastated to learn of the tragic incident and has been in contact with the parents during this difficult period.”

“The case remains subject to an ongoing process with our insurer, who are working with us to resolve the situation quickly and fairly,” it said. “In the meantime, we wish the family strength as they await the outcome. On the issue of parking e-bikes in Westminster, last week we signed a contract with the council which sees Tier and other operators investing in parking bays around central London where all trips now have to start and end.”

This will mean users have to leave bikes in specific docking locations when ending rides in relevant boroughs, a measure already in place for Lime bikes in Camden, City of London, Hackney, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, and Kensington and Chelsea.

Last year, Lime’s CEO called for a percentage of the city’s car parking spaces to be reallocated to micromobility amid comments from the leader of Wandsworth Borough Council warning that it may begin impounding e-bikes if more is not done to tackle pavement-blocking parking.

> Lime hire scheme under fire as residents claim e-bikes “deliberately” left in “dangerous places”

Addressing Ignacio’s family’s concerns, the Mayor’s office said it does not have the power to regulate dockless rental bikes, something it is reportedly asking the government for more controls to do so.

Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman backed up the comments, adding that “cities currently lack the power to regulate dockless rental bike providers.”

“We need urgent legislation from the government to give cities the powers to properly manage dockless e-bikes to improve safety, ensure parking is better controlled and to provide a better user experience to customers,” he said.