E-bike rental scheme overview
A trial of dockless electric bikes (e-bikes) has been rolled out across the borough in partnership with the operator Lime. This follows approval by the Council’s Cabinet in April 2023. The scheme introduced over 260 dedicated e-bike parking bays across the borough from which residents and visitors can hire e-bikes. The scheme provides an additional transport option to residents while helping the council meet its transport, public health, air quality and climate emergency objectives. Benefits include:
- Removing the barrier of bicycle ownership
- Removing the threat of bike theft, which can deter people from cycling
- Improving connectivity between residential areas and key destinations
- Supporting longer cycle trips by a wider demographic, through the electric assist function
- Improving people’s travel choices
- Providing an affordable travel option
- Forming part of a public transport journey by connecting people to bus and train services
- Helping to reduce congestion, air pollution and address climate change
Prior to this trial, shared e-bikes in the borough were operating under a free-floating model (i.e. the e-bikes could be parked wherever the user saw fit). As the use of e-bikes has greatly increased in recent years, a more formalised scheme was needed to help minimise instances of bikes being left in an obstructive manner on footpaths and carriageways.
The trial has introduced mandatory parking bays, with bike users now only permitted to end a trip in designated parking bays. The bays are predominantly located in existing carriageway parking bays, with a smaller number of footway bays provided where suitable. Mandatory parking bays ensure the council has greater control over where bikes are parked and therefore reduce negative impacts on other highway and footpath users.
The e-bike parking bays have been delivered in four phases:
- Phase 1: launched in Brentford and Chiswick on 5 June 2023.
- Phase 2: launched in Isleworth, Hounslow, Osterley and Spring Grove on 10 July 2023.
- Phase 3: launched in Bedfont, Cranford, Feltham, Hanworth and Heston on 18 September 2023, along with some minor amendments to the bays in Phases 1 and 2.
- Phase 4: minor amendments to the scheme completed across all areas in autumn 2023, based on scheme feedback.
The bays were introduced through an Experimental Traffic Management Order (ETMO) for an initial six months (with the possibility of extension to up to 18 months), giving residents the opportunity to try using the e-bikes across all seasons. At the end of the trial, the scheme will be assessed to determine its practicality before a decision is made to either remove or make the parking bays permanent. The e-bike scheme has been well used throughout its first year of operation. Ridership has shown seasonal fluctuations: in the cooler, darker months (December to February), around 37,000 e-bike trips per month were started in Hounslow. Warmer weather and longer days saw trip starts increase to 81,000 in June 2024. Further growth in ridership is expected as the scheme experiences its first summer of boroughwide coverage.
Further information about the scheme can be found in the FAQs section. We have also published the e-bike bay locations.
