Selfish cyclists who abandon e-bikes in Central London set to be fined £20 under new council plans
- Cyclists will have to correctly park the e-bike in a dedicated docking station
- Concerns were raised over the news plans as it would need 500 new bays
- READ MORE: New safety warning over e-bikes and e-scooters
Selfish cyclists in central London who abandon rented e-bikes rouge on the street could be slapped with a daily fine by rental companies.
Plans have been drawn by Westminster City Council to install docking stations across the borough in the next coming months.
If e-bike users fail to use the station and comply with the rules, they could be slapped with a penalty of up to £20 and continue to be charged until they have correctly parked the bike.
This potential change was introduced after the council were faced with an increasing problem which caused issues for those with mobility challenges and the visually impaired, according to the Telegraph.
These stations will be built in various places across the borough including car parking spots.
Selfish cyclists who abandon e-bikes in Central London set to be fined £20 under new Westminster City Council plans
The new stations will be built in various places across the borough including car parking spots
It was estimated that around 500 stations would need to be installed across Westminster
The plans, which are not yet finalised, are being supported by e-bike rental companies.
Lime, one of many e-bike rental companies, has suggested that its fining system would be similar to what it currently uses in other boroughs, with an initial warning, before incremental rises from £2 to £20.
There are also plans to install a ‘geo-fence’ around the edge of the borough. If the bike is incorrectly parked in that area they will continue to be charged until they park it correctly.
Cabinet member for city management and air quality, Paul Dimoldenberg, told the Telegraph: ‘We’ve been working with the e-bike companies as to possible locations for these parking bays and we hope to start installing them within the next few months.’
While plans are being discussed many concerns have been raised. One that the system would only work as long as there were enough docking bays installed.
It was estimated that around 500 stations would need to be installed across Westminster.
Cyclists can expect to see a similar structure implemented to those in Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, and the City of London.
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