Agreement reached with Lime to tackle safety concerns in Brent

Lime has agreed to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in the creation of hundreds of bike parking bays across Brent, as part of a comprehensive plan to tackle residents’ safety concerns.

The bike hire company was in the limelight after Brent warned that the dockless e-bikes would need to be removed from the borough if a number of concerns were not addressed by 31 October.

A plan to improve the way the bike rental service operates in Brent has now been negotiated following a series of constructive meetings, with a new operating model to begin immediately.

Under the new plan, which was launched today Lime will:

• Introduce and fund the creation of 200 new parking bays, in priority areas. These designated parking bays will be implemented and enforced in phases. All locations will be added before July 1 2025.
• Immediately reduce the size of its fleet in Brent by a third - from 750 to 500 bikes - while these other improvements are made, and consult closely with the council before increasing bike numbers again.
• Introduce zoning changes that prevent the parking of bikes in areas where parking has frequently been poor.
• Introduce automatic ‘slow zone’ speed controls in busy hotspots such as around Wembley Stadium and Wembley High Road, as well as a dedicated events plan for the stadium with the council.
• Increase the number of Lime cyclist patrollers and parking wardens on-the-ground in Brent by 78%, ensuring that any issues reported can be dealt with quickly.
• Remove inappropriately parked bikes within 2 hours of being reported via a newly created email.
• Reinvest the fines from poor parking back into the local community through the council’s Together Towards Zero grant scheme.
• Launch a new resident cycling forum to meet on a quarterly basis and provide a cycle training session each month for Brent residents.

Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement, said: 

“Since raising our concerns with Lime earlier this year, we've spent considerable time at the table with them, communicating residents' issues, outlining our expectations, and closely reviewing their proposals.

“We’ve squeezed a number of really important improvements out of Lime, and it is welcome that they have listened to residents’ feedback and are taking immediate steps to change.

“This council supports active travel, but safety is non-negotiable. We hope that we have turned a corner with Lime and expect residents to see real, noticeable improvements from now on. We will hold Lime to these new commitments to ensure they are honoured."

Hal Stevenson, Director of Policy at Lime, UK, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Brent Council to continue offering our service to the tens of thousands of residents that rely on us daily across the borough.

“Over the past two months, we’ve collaborated closely with the Council to establish an action plan that will deliver immediate, on-street improvements, while also funding the creation of a new network of mandatory parking locations by July 1. 

“Our significant investment in this network demonstrates our commitment to working alongside Brent to provide long-term solutions that address community concerns, while  continuing to support their efforts to ensure more journeys in the Borough are taken by bike.

“We are listening to our Council partners and taking action to manage the record demand for our e-bikes responsibly.” 

Residents should report badly parked bikes to Lime directly on their Lime website or through their App or alternatively through a new email Brent@li.me or by calling 0800 808 5223.