Lime Bike Scheme Expanded to Isleworth and Osterley

Council implements next phase of controversial trial

Over 700 bikes were delivered in the initial phase of the trial

July 19, 2023

The council has announced that it is proceeding with the next phase of its controversial e-bike trial and expanding it into Isleworth, Osterley and Hounslow.

A partnership has been entered into with Lime Bikes in which the shared e-bike hire scheme was allowed to officially expand into the borough as long as users parked in designated bays.

Previously hire bikes had been used in the borough on an informal basis.

The trial began last month in Brentford and Chiswick and already 40,000 trips have been taken.

The council had previously announced that Isleworth, Osterley and Hounslow would be next to see the introduction of the scheme with Heston, Cranford, Bedfont, Feltham and Hanworth scheduled from August this year.

So far, the scheme has met with a mixed response with many people delighted with the extra option for active travel but also an increased number of complaints about bikes being carelessly parked outside the designated bays causing and obstruction.

Users are required to park the e-bikes at mandatory parking zones located around the borough which are marked out either on a footway or a carriageway. Riders are required to take a mandatory end of trip photo, which are all reviewed.

Over 1,800 fines were issued to users in the early weeks of the operation of the scheme in Chiswick and Brentford.

If users choose to abandon their ride outside of a bay, they will be fined by the operator with penalties starting at £2. Repeat occurrences will result in the user being banned from the scheme.

Many of the cases of bikes being badly parked are believed to be a result of people getting around the security controls on the bikes and riding them without paying. They can be identified by the distinctive clicking sound the bike makes when ridden. Lime says it is taking measures to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Issues regarding abandoned bikes, suspected hacking attempts, noise and other operational issues should be reported to support@li.me in the first instance. Lime says this email address is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The council says that at the end of last week parking compliance was at 85 per cent and the Council is continuing to work on raising awareness around parking responsibly. Councillor Guy Lambert said this week that Lime bike reported as being badly parked on FixMyStreet would be moved within an hour if Lime failed to act on the report.

At the end of last week parking compliance was at 85 per cent and the Council is continuing to work on raising awareness around parking responsibly.

As part of the new scheme, Lime will offer 50 per cent off the cost of e-bike rides for lower income residents via its Lime Access programme. The programme provides eligible riders - including concession pass holders, key workers, students and the unemployed - with unlimited discounts with Lime, helping them to get where they need to go in a safe, sustainable and affordable way.

Hal Stevenson, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Lime UK and Ireland commented, “We are delighted to launch Phase 2 of our e-bike service in Hounslow. Our successful Phase 1 launch was met with strong demand by local users and we look forward to working with the Council to continue to develop the service in the borough.

Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport said, “It is great to see the up take in the scheme in Chiswick and Brentford as cycling has so many benefits - from supporting people’s health and wellbeing, to easing traffic and improving air quality.

“I hope you enjoy the ride and I would also like to remind users to park in the mandatory parking bays and be considerate to other users.”

Council officers will be monitoring feedback on the scheme throughout the trial and working closely with Lime to address any concerns.