This roundup comes after yet another dramatic week in London, with Voi staying put in Ealing despite its contract coming to an end, and Forest calling on the Mayor of London to speed up the implementation of a cross-borough hire policy. We’re also covering Orbea’s recall, Also’s delays, and Police Scotland doing something nice for once…
Voi refuses to leave Ealing
The wild west of London’s e-bikes has entered an Alamo-style standoff in Ealing with hire operator Voi refusing to leave the borough after its contract with the council came to an end. The company believes it is being compliant with Ealing’s rules while providing competitive pricing.
“There is no statutory licensing regime that requires a council’s permission to operate dockless e-bikes on the public highway, and we do not believe that the selection process used gives the council grounds to exclude a compliant operator”, Voi told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“Neither, within this context, do we believe it to be fair to Ealing residents that Voi’s removal would deprive them of the cheapest per-minute dockless e-bike rental service in London. That said, we’d much rather be operating in Ealing under a formal agreement – it would give officers greater oversight and it’s better for the borough’s finances.”
Voi competitors Lime and Forest have been formally contracted by the council, which said it’s waiting for a ‘pan-London’ policy on e-bike hire schemes from Transport for London (TfL) before deciding what to do with Voi.
Forest fires shots at Khan
Forest itself has also asked Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to speed up the implementation of TfL’s proposed city-wide rules for hire e-bike schemes. In a letter seen by City AM, Forest cited the collapse of car-sharing scheme Zipcar as a warning of what might happen when costs spiral.
“The market is already under increasing pressure due to inconsistent approaches across boroughs to regulation, operations and parking, as well as unsustainable revenue-sharing and spiralling enforcement costs”, Forest co-founders Agustin Guilisasti and Caroline Seton wrote in the letter, which was co-signed by organisations including the London Cycling Campaign and the Bikeability Trust.
In response, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “TfL and the Mayor are working closely with the Department for Transport on the secondary legislation required to implement these much-needed controls as quickly as possible”.
Also: e-bike delays
Also’s intriguing and innovative TM-B e-bike has been on our most-wanted list since its announcement last year. However, as is often the case with intriguing and innovative things, production has taken longer than expected. The company cited engineering hurdles, quality assurance standards, and supply chain problems as reasons why the bikes didn’t hit their expected ship date of spring this year.
”We’ve faced significant supply chain challenges on materials that are in high demand thanks to the worldwide AI boom”, Also’s Head of Product, Saul Leiken, said in a post on the company’s site. “Our battery packs such a punch, in terms of both performance and features, that existing battery standards don’t fully cover it … As a result we’ve been collaborating on defining a new set of performance standards for an entirely new type of product and that has taken more time than we anticipated”.
US customers who pre-ordered the Launch Edition will receive their bikes between now and early November, while ‘reservation holders’ will start getting their bikes from November onwards. No word on whether the delays will affect an expected European launch for Also.
Orbea recalls e-bikes after weld issues
Orbea has issued a recall of some of its urban e-bikes due to a weak welded joint. The Spanish bike manufacturer has urged riders to stop using 2019 to 2020 Orbea Optima urban e-bikes due to a frame fracture risk, with affected models bearing the stamped code ‘19A’ under the downtube. Affected riders can take their bike to their nearest Orbea dealer for a replacement frame, according to government product safety guidelines.
Aberdeen cops complete food deliveries
As city police forces up and down the country crack down on illegal e-bikes used by takeaway couriers, a pertinent question comes to light: what happens to the food riders were carrying? Thankfully, Aberdeen’s police force has given us a wholesome answer. During a recent operation on non-compliant e-bikes, Police Scotland officers completed deliveries to ensure two hungry takeaway customers’ meals didn’t go cold.
Cycling UK to hold protest ride against Merseyrail’s e-bike ban
After many cycling campaigners, industry types and commuters alike expressed dismay at Merseyrail’s banning of all non-folding e-bikes from its train services and stations, Cycling UK is now organising a ride next week to show Merseyrail the strength of feeling about the controversial decision.
Merseyrail claim the ban was necessary because of “safety considerations”. Cycling UK’s Associate Director, Duncan Dollimore, described the move as “a huge backward step for accessible, sustainable transport” in the Merseyside region.
“Cycling UK, Merseyside Cycling Campaign, local cycling groups and supporters will come together for a short ride, before heading to Merseyrail’s headquarters to deliver more than 100 personal stories from people who could be affected by the ban”, says Cycling UK.
The ride will start outside the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority building on Thursday 17 September at 1.30pm. More info here.
