Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Parking Bay Locations
Answers to the questions below can be found on the ‘Parking Bay Locations’ page:
- Where are the e-bike bays located and how was this determined?
- What do the bays look like?
- What happens if a bike is parked outside of a bay? Who can I report it to?
Scheme Operations
How do I sign up to use an e-bike?
The Council has partnered with Lime, the selected e-bike operators who are responsible for deploying e-bikes in Hounslow. To use the Lime e-bikes, please download the free Lime mobile app available on the Apple store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). The Lime app allows users to find the nearest e-bike, reserve the e-bike, pay for the trip, and locate a designated parking bay in which to end the trip.
How old do you have to be to ride an e-bike?
Users must be 18 years and over.
How much does it cost?
On a pay per usage basis, the e-bikes currently cost £1 to unlock and 29p per minute to use. Lime also offers in-app ride passes designed for frequent riders and commuters. These passes include £0 unlock fees and can be used/split over multiple journeys within a set period:
- 30 minute pass: £3.99 (valid for 24 hours from purchase)
- 60 minute pass: £6.99 (valid for 3 days from purchase)
- 200 minute pass: £18.99 (valid for 7 days from purchase)
- 400 minute pass: £36.99 (valid for 30 days from purchase)
Another option is LimePrime membership (£8.99 per month), which provides unlimited £0 unlocking fees and the ability to reserve a vehicle in advance for up to 30 minutes at no additional cost.
As part of the scheme, Lime will offer 50% off the cost of e-bike rides for lower income residents via its Lime Access programme. Lime Access provides eligible riders—including concession pass holders, key workers, students and the unemployed—with unlimited Lime discounts, helping them to get where they need to go in a safe, sustainable and affordable way.
Sign up to Lime Access and read more information on eligibility.
Will I be able to end my ride outside of the dedicated bays?
No, not within the London Borough of Hounslow. Each of the bikes is fitted with a GPS system and users can only end their ride within a dedicated e-bike bay. The bays are marked with the words ‘CYCLE HIRE ONLY’ on their outer edge. If users choose to abandon their ride outside of a bay, they will be fined by the operator. Repeat occurrences will result in the user being banned from the scheme. However, different boroughs and landowners may have slightly different approaches, so you will need to check the operator app to understand where you can leave a bike in each area (see below).
Can I start an e-bike trip in Hounslow and end it in another borough?
Yes, as long as Lime is permitted to operate in that borough. The Lime app provides users with information about how and where to park, including identifying areas where Lime e-bikes cannot be ridden and/or parked.
Lime provides more information about parking across London.
Are there any areas of the borough where I cannot ride?
Yes, there are some areas of the borough where cycling is not permitted or is not advisable, such as certain parks and gardens. The bike’s GPS system will detect when a bike is entering these areas and the electric assist function will cut out, making the bike very heavy to pedal. Whilst not impossible to ride the bikes in these areas, this should act as a significant deterrent. For users wishing to access these areas, they should find a nearby bay to end their ride. There will also be some areas where the speed of the e-bike is limited. A map of planned no-go and go-slow areas is available on Lime's mobile app, and this will be kept under regular review.
How fast can the e-bikes go?
The speed of the electric assist function on rental e-bikes is limited to 15.5mph by national legislation. It should be noted that some operators have fitted speedometers to the e-bikes, some of which are displayed in km per hour (rather than miles per hour).
Some areas of the borough have been set as go-slow zones, where the speed of the bikes will be limited to 8 mph. These are generally areas where although cycling is permitted, there are likely to be high volumes of pedestrians and particular caution is needed from e-bike scheme users.
Are e-bikes permitted to use shared or segregated cycle paths?
There are many areas across the borough where space is shared by cyclists and pedestrians, which will generally be signed accordingly and e-bikes are permitted to use. It is important that riders behave considerately where space is shared. Inconsiderate behaviour can reduce the appeal of these places and is particularly intimidating for people with reduced mobility, or who have hearing or vision difficulties. Where riding in shared spaces please:
- Be courteous and patient with pedestrians and other path users
- Slow down in areas where space is limited or pedestrians are present
- Take extra care in places where you cannot see clearly ahead, such as junctions, bends or blind spots
- Use the e-bike’s bell to make people aware of your presence but be aware that some people might not hear or see you if they are hard of hearing or visually impaired.
How will users be prevented from cycling on the pavement?
It is an offence for cyclists to ride on the pavement, unless it has been classified as a cycle route (this may be shared with pedestrians or segregated, and it will normally be signed as such as noted above). The council has sought to locate any footway e-bike bays in close proximity to dropped kerbs, which help users safely access the carriageway to help discourage pavement cycling.
Enforcement against pavement cycling is predominantly a matter for the police. However, if you spot an e-bike user doing so, you can report the time and location of the incident to Lime who will use their GPS tracking system to investigate. This may result in the user being either fined or banned from the scheme. Lime can be contacted here: support@li.me and 0800 808 5223.
How do operators ensure there is a good availability of e-bikes across the borough?
There will be fluctuations in where the fleet is located at any point in time as scheme users hire the bikes and complete their journey. Lime has been keeping a close eye on the distribution of the e-bikes and redistributes them as necessary to ensure there is good availability as well as space to return the bikes in each bay. Minimum and maximum limits on the number of bikes permitted in each area of the borough have been agreed and are regularly reviewed with operators.
How do the bikes get charged?
The e-bike batteries are monitored by the operator. When an e-bike battery is low on charge it is taken out of service by Lime and the battery is swapped for one that is fully charged. These operations are undertaken in e-vans and e-cargo bikes. Will e-bikes result in more noise?
Compared to the sound of a car engine, e-bikes are relatively quiet. In-app messages will also be used by Lime to encourage riders to behave considerately if using the service during late night/early morning hours. Officers have been monitoring feedback on the scheme throughout the trial and are working closely with Lime to address concerns. Any noise concerns should be sent to Lime. Lime can be contacted here: support@li.me and 0800 808 5223.
I have heard that the e-bikes can be hacked. What is being done to stop this?
In Autumn 2023, Lime implemented a suite of preventative measures which has eliminated hacking of bikes. We understand the concern that was caused by this type of antisocial behaviour/vandalism, and it resulted in the frequent abandonment of bikes outside bays during the first few months of the scheme. A Live-Alert feature sends an alert and GPS reading to the operator if an e-bike is moving in a way it shouldn’t be to provide an indicator that theft could be in progress.
Lime also worked with secondary schools, in partnership with the police, to warn them against anti-social behaviour around the bikes and to remind pupils that vandalism of vehicles is a criminal offence.
If there is a particular location/time when you think vandalism may be taking place, please contact support@li.me or contact the police on 111 as appropriate.
Scheme Timetable
When did the works take place?
The bays were introduced in phases, starting in the east of the borough and working westwards. This was because the east of the borough is closest to existing e-bike operations in neighbouring boroughs and filled an important gap in coverage within west London. The works included alterations to the existing road markings and, where necessary, removal of any existing parking bay signage.
- 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 (see below).
Feedback and Scheme Evaluation
How can I raise issues with Lime or comment on the scheme?
Issues regarding abandoned bikes, the Lime app, suspected hacking attempts and other operational issues should be reported to support@li.me in the first instance, who will be best placed to respond. This email address is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can call Lime at 0800 808 5223. The bays were introduced through an Experimental Traffic Management Order (ETMO) for an initial six months (with a possible extension 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.
Feedback during the initial trial period is most welcome. Comments can be submitted via email at traffic@hounslow.gov.uk or in writing to the address below. This feedback, coupled with additional data collected during the trial, will be used to guide the council on any future recommendations. The Council also consulted on the draft Kerbside Strategy in summer/autumn 2023, which provided the opportunity for comments on the general principles of the scheme.
Mailing Address for Comments:
E-Bike Trial Traffic,
Transport and Parking Environment,
Culture and Customer Services,
London Borough of Hounslow,
Hounslow House,
7 Bath Road,
Hounslow,
TW3 3EB
How will you decide if the trial has been a success?
A range of data is being collected throughout the trial period and will be used to inform a decision on the scheme. This includes data from Lime on the number of trips made each month, the number of scheme users, key origins and destinations, collision data, numbers of scheme users receiving fines/bans. We will also be reviewing the feedback received from members, residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
For the trial to be considered a success, on balance these metrics will have demonstrated that the scheme has been a positive addition to the borough’s transport network. Any negative consequences will have been carefully managed or steps put in place to mitigate/reduce these as far as possible. It is recognised that it may take time for any new scheme such as this to bed in and this will also be taken into account. The proposed way forward will be reflected in the council’s final Kerbside Strategy, approval of which will be sought in July 2024.
What would happen in the absence of dedicated bays for the e-bikes?
Local authorities do not currently have the power to prevent operators from deploying a free-floating fleet (i.e. e-bikes not parked in dedicated bays) in the borough. This will change under the new Transport Bill that is being developed by government, but the timescales for this are uncertain. In the meantime, boroughs must decide how to better regulate operations, with an increasing number choosing to create dedicated bays which operators are then required to use through an agreement with the council. Now that the London Borough of Hounslow e-bike scheme has been implemented, scheme users are required to use the bays. Where can I find copies of the decision reports for the scheme? The Council’s Cabinet agreed to introduce an e-bike scheme to the borough on 18th April 2023. Read the Cabinet report.
The above Cabinet report delegated authority to the Assistant Director Traffic, Transport & Parking to approve the locations for the e-bike bays as site selection work is completed. Chief Officer Decision (COD) reports for each phase of the e-bike scheme were published as follows:
- Phase 1: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Wednesday, 31 May 2023
- Phase 2: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Monday, 31 July 2023
- Phase 3: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions – Date to be updated
- Phase 4: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Tuesday, 31 October 2023
The table below provides the COD report link for each ward as well as detailed location plans for each parking bay (the location plans are appendices to the COD reports). In some cases, bay locations were adjusted in later phases, which is why some of the wards have multiple CODs and location plans.
