URL: https://ealing.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=972

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: This report outlines the new approach to enforcing the parking of dockless e-bikes in the borough.

Content: RESOLVED:   That Cabinet:   1.          Approved the E-Bike Enforcement Procedure at Appendix 1; 2.           Agreed to the implementation of the E-Bike Enforcement Procedure for a six-month pilot period; and 3.           Delegated authority to the Strategic Director, Housing & Environment to continue the E-Bike Enforcement Procedure following the pilot period.   REASONS FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:   1.     An e-bike enforcement policy is a useful tool to protect the council from obstructive incursions by an e-bike operator without an agreement in place, as well as to build upon provisions in current MoUs which stipulate good parking practices. The formalised procedure to enforce against obstructively parked e-bikes will respond to recent resident feedback, address accessibility concerns, and support the council’s policy to require mandatory parking in ‘virtual’ or ‘marked’ bays. Enforcement has been successfully implemented by other London boroughs in the absence of pan-London micromobility licensing.   2.     The option of maintaining the status quo (asking and expecting operators with MoUs to continue to manage e-bike parking) was considered, but this could not apply to operators without an MoU and is not considered sufficient to address the observed issues and complaints related to obstructive parking and bay capacity.   3.     Maintaining current practice and enforcing only against unpermitted operators who do not have an agreement with the council was also considered; however, this would not address obstructive parking from e-bikes of permitted operators.   4.     Maintaining current practice and allowing unpermitted operators to retain access to the borough, with certain conditions such as a small fleet cap of 200 e-bikes, is also not recommended. It would still be difficult to enforce the conditions set by the council, without an agreement or enforcement policy, and this would increase the number of bikes in the current operating area, thereby increasing parking pressure.   5.     The recommended approach of publishing and trialling an enforcement procedure that covers mis-parked and obstructive e-bikes of all operators (alongside a pragmatic approach of allowing ‘ride-throughs’ and a review of borough boundary parking) is deemed to be a balanced approach to address observed parking issues and maintain collaborative relationships with micromobility operators.   6.     A drawback of introducing this enforcement policy is that it places the onus for micromobility asset management upon the council, when this responsibility should lie with the operators and their management of their own assets. However, in the circumstances, the council believes the benefits of enforcement outweigh this drawback.  

Date of Decision: February 11, 2026