One of London’s most cycling-friendly boroughs is set to introduce an e-bike hire scheme for the first time in almost a decade, a potential U-turn on the dockless initiatives criticised by opposition councillors as a “desperate ploy” to attract voters ahead of May’s local elections.
Labour-controlled Waltham Forest is known for its pioneering ‘Mini Holland’ active travel scheme, the first of its kind to be introduced in London, which aimed to increase levels of cycling and walking and cut motor traffic by installing a network of cycle lanes and prevents drivers from cutting through residential streets.
In 2024, to celebrate the scheme’s tenth anniversary, London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman described Waltham Forest as a model for cities across the world, while the borough was judged as the best in outer London for cycling by Healthy Streets last year.
Rather surprisingly, however, the borough has been without an e-bike hire scheme for almost a decade. A deal with Irish dockless e-bike provider Urbo was abandoned after just 10 months in 2017, with its 250 bikes removed from the streets, following what critics branded a “fiasco” which “failed miserably”.
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But Waltham Forest now appears set to join their neighbours in introducing dockless hire bikes, thanks to the local Labour party’s newest pre-election pledge.
“We will work with dockless bike providers to introduce a scheme which works for all residents,” the party said in its manifesto ahead of May’s borough elections.
According to the Evening Standard, the council’s deputy leader Clyde Loakes spoke to the three main hire bike providers, Lime, Forest, and Voi, last month, with each firm making a pitch to operate in the borough.
The development comes after 1,200 locals signed a petition last summer calling for expanded Lime bike access in Waltham Forest.
“Lime bikes have transformed the way we move around various parts of London by offering eco-friendly, affordable, and flexible transport,” the petition said.
“However, despite their presence in other areas, Leytonstone and the Waltham Forest area has been left out, leaving residents without this convenient option.
“By expanding the Lime bike access to include Leytonstone and the Waltham area, we’re not just offering more convenience; we’re contributing to a healthier, more environmentally friendly community.”
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However, despite this local support for the measure, the council’s Conservative contingent has branded the move a “desperate ploy” to prevent Labour “haemorrhaging” votes to the Green Party, which has been gaining ground in Waltham Forest, in May.
“Our Labour council previously attempted to bring dockless bikes into the borough in 2017 and failed miserably. Long-term residents will remember the Urbo fiasco. Since then they have always dogmatically objected to any e-bike or e-scooter trial,” Emma Best, a Tory councillor in Waltham Forest and a London Assembly member, told the Standard.
“We know that they are extremely worried about losing control of the council and haemorrhaging votes to the Greens. This appears a desperate ploy to appeal to those voters.
“But history, and their 2022 local election manifesto, has taught us not to believe a word they say. We were told we would have a lido last time and currently the closest thing to that we have is the potholes and parks filled with puddles.”
Nevertheless, the Labour manifesto has been welcomed by Lime, Voi, and Forest, who say an e-bike hire scheme is the logical “next step” after a decade of progressive active travel policies in Waltham Forest.
“We welcome the news that Waltham Forest is moving forward with plans to launch a shared bike service,” Hal Stevenson, director of policy at Lime, said in a statement.
“Waltham Forest is already a real hub for cycling, with significant investment from the council in cycle lanes and infrastructure, so shared e-bikes feel like a natural next step.
“Lime has already established hugely popular services in neighbouring Hackney and Haringey, and know there is strong demand for shared e-bikes across this part of London.”
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Forest’s head of policy Alex Berwin also said: “We welcome any steps taken in boroughs across London that help open up cycling to more local residents, and so we’re thrilled to see the Labour Party in Waltham Forest make this pledge in their local election manifesto.
“As the capital’s homegrown e-bike operator, Forest is committed to working with all London boroughs to improve access to our affordable, convenient and sustainable e-bikes, and help make it easier for more Londoners than ever to cycle around our city.”
And Harry Foskin, the senior policy and communications manager at Voi, added: “Waltham Forest is one of the best places to cycle in London, and I know residents will delight at the prospect of safe, sustainable and affordable rental e-bikes coming to their borough.
“Voi’s new, responsible approach to operating e-bikes has proved popular with boroughs across London. We are excited to work with the forward-thinking Waltham Forest council in introduce an e-bike scheme that works for riders and non-riders alike.”
Meanwhile, the London Cycling Campaign has urged the council to agree a deal that would allow e-bike users to cross borough boundaries.
“Dockless e-bike hire has enabled far more people and a wider range of people to cycle in London. Rollout to more boroughs is really welcome in enabling more people to cycle more journeys,” campaigner Simon Munk said.
“We hope every new borough enabling e-bike hire works with neighbouring boroughs so that borough boundaries don’t become barriers.”
4 thoughts on “Cycling-friendly London borough finally set to introduce dockless hire bikes – but Labour accused of “desperate ploy” to win back Green voters”
I usually find I agree with the campaign, and I’m a long way from London, but I’d bet that it’s much more to do with all the changes to the infra (and publicity around that).
Indeed probably the disincentives to drive some trips are more significant – like LEZ and ULEZ plus perhaps inconvenience of parking…
OTOH it may be that some people are grabbing an ebike rather than walking, or waiting for a bus. Perhaps “more people cycling occasionally” is a positive overall even if driving is unaffected? For example if it makes cycling “more normal”?
For me however the measure is when that generates support for better cycling conditions – that’s infra and reduction in provision of ease for motor vehicle users.
You’re pretty much on the nail there in my experience, I don’t know anybody who uses Lime or similar in place of their car journeys; everyone I know who uses them do so as an alternative to buses/tubes/trains when the weather is nice and/or a way to go to the pub/theatre/football without having to take your own bike and risk leaving it locked up for hours. I should imagine they cut down a bit on the number of Uber journeys been taken but in terms of people driving their own cars those other factors you mention are much more influential.
Probably not really relevant but a question.
How do dockless bikes stay perfectly charged (if electric which I know many are not) and how do they get returned and parked to dedicated places? Many town that have these bikes seem to allow them to be dumped where the rider has finished with them which means that they are a mess, not accessible in know places and some one has to collect them and re-distribute at times. Surely they should all be collected and deposited at dedicated spots, albeit easily accessed.
The company running the scheme have a fleet of vans that drive around doing things like swapping batteries and re-distributing bikes. The bikes are connected to the internet and constantly report their location and battery charge state, so the company knows which bikes need recharging, relocating, etc..