What the consultation covers

Ministers want to end the "wild west" of parked shared e-bikes blocking pavements, and are launching a consultation to crack down on that and on antisocial behaviour such as jumping red lights. The Department for Transport consultation would establish national standards on issues including parking, replacing the current patchwork of agreements between bike companies and councils. The rules would cover operators such as Lime, Forest and Voi; some areas already require shared bikes to be left in designated parking bays, while elsewhere the rules are looser.

Who is affected and what else is under review

Pavement obstruction hits some groups hardest: wheelchair users, people with pushchairs and those with impaired vision.

Beyond parking, the consultation will examine:

• •antisocial and illegal riding, including jumping lights and use of bikes by riders who are underage or drunk
• •guidelines on fleet sizes to prevent overcrowding, and possible insurance requirements so that someone hit by a rider on a hired e-bike can claim compensation
• •whether councils and mayors should have powers over rental fees, and whether companies should share data for enforcement and transport planning

A fast-growing sector asking for rules

Shared e-bike systems arrived in the UK in 2018 and expanded rapidly, especially in London, where Lime is the biggest operator. More than 2.6 million Britons used an e-bike share scheme in the year to September 2025, an estimate says. The schemes draw a broader demographic range of riders than traditional bikes, partly thanks to electric assistance and because no secure parking spot is needed. The DfT notes the lack of central oversight has caused difficulties, and that companies themselves have called for more regulation.

Political reaction and London devolution

Andy Burnham called the proposed changes "a small but important everyday fix to make our streets safer". The prime minister said e-bikes ease getting around, but blocking pavements or irresponsible use causes real frustration, and that communities should be given more control over parking.

That is the position of transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who said shared e-bike schemes have "revolutionised" travel and that the government is acting to help local leaders tackle antisocial behaviour too. The DfT would devolve power in London to mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to unify e-bike regulations, now set borough by borough and varying significantly. Khan said he has called for powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes since 2017, when the first schemes arrived in London, and welcomed the plans.