The Council’s Transport Committee agreed on Monday 16 March to award exclusive operating rights for e-bike services in the Borough to Forest, which will effectively ban Lime bikes from being hired or parked in the borough. The likely effect is that when the change is made Lime bikes will stop working at the Borough boundary.

The Committee agreed that the E-bike service should continue at the meeting and the cap on the number of e-bikes should be increased from 250 to 750 in the borough, with an option to rise to 1,000 overall. It also agreed to increase the supply of e-bike parking bays from 65 to at least 150 to reduce the number left blocking the pavements.

A report by Council officers said Forest scored highest for pricing plan and service. Councillors said the move would give riders full access to neighbouring boroughs Kingston and Hounslow, where Forest is the designated e-bike provider. When the change will begin will be confirmed in due course.

One has to wonder whether the Council has recycled itself into more judicial review proceedings!

Meanwhile…………..

In two sentencing cases in the last month E-bikers who killed pedestrians have avoided jail sentences. In one case a 91 year old was hit on the pavement outside his house. The E-biker received a suspended jail sentence having admitted to manslaughter.

It seems that it is only death which will lead to the police taking any action to prevent this illegal activity. Even then sentences are minimal. One rule for the E-biker; another rule for the car driver. A policy decision to encourage cycling?

It will be interesting to see if Richmond Council take any steps to control cycling on the pavement. Given the possible quadrupling of E-bikes in the Borough it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that it will be an increasing hazard. And where will stands be placed? The author of EastSheenMatters was startled last week to feel a cargo bike tricycling up behind him on the pavement in East Sheen. The justification given was that the rider had to get to the cycle stand, with no apparent thought being given to pushing it there!