Overview
- Kensington and Chelsea has removed more than 2,500 abandoned or badly parked rental e-bikes since the crackdown began, with 1,315 taken in 2025 and about 1,200 seized so far in 2026.
- The council has charged operators in excess of £210,000 for seizure, storage and release fees and says it has received more than £179,000 in retrieval payments that it is reinvesting into enforcement activity.
- A borough breakdown shows Lime had 1,624 bikes removed, Human Forest 787, Voi 61 and Bolt 44, with each operator billed individually for the costs to reclaim their vehicles.
- Removals are carried out under section 149(2) of the Highways Act when bikes obstruct pavements, lie across the road or force pedestrians into traffic, and reported bikes parked outside a bay must be cleared by operators within two hours or face seizure.
- Operators have agreed to the borough’s new rules for designated bays and faster response times, and Lime has said it plans to roll out 1,500 smaller redesigned bikes across London to reduce pavement footprint (company statement reported).