Overview

• Hounslow permits Forest and Voi while neighbouring Richmond licenses Lime, creating incompatible operating areas for rental e‑bikes.
• Lime says it agreed to Hounslow’s request to disable electric assist when its bikes enter the borough, prompting many riders to end trips at the boundary.
• Reporters observed around 30 abandoned bikes near the southern entrance to Chiswick Bridge, illustrating how vehicles cluster at crossing points.
• Comedian Dara Ó Briain highlighted the issue on X, comparing bridge crossings to Checkpoint Charlie and pointing to the operator mismatch.
• CoMoUK flagged legislation that could let TfL become the licensing authority, and Hounslow says it is working with TfL and neighbours while introducing measures to better manage parked bikes.