E-Bike Trial Overview
Trial History
Prior to Summer 2023, shared e-bikes in Hounslow were operating under an unauthorised free-floating model (i.e. the e-bikes could be parked wherever the user saw fit). As the use of e-bikes has greatly increased in recent years, a more formalised scheme was needed to help minimise instances of bikes being left in an obstructive manner on footpaths and carriageways.
In response, the Council launched the e-bike trial in June 2023, following approval by Cabinet in April 2023 (see below for all decision reports). The trial introduced over 260 mandatory parking bays where bike users now need to end their trips. The bays are predominantly located in existing carriageway parking bays, with a smaller number of footway bays provided where suitable. Mandatory parking bays ensure the council has greater control over where bikes are parked and therefore reduce negative impacts on other highway and footpath users.
The e-bike parking bays were delivered across three key areas of the borough, in four phases:
- Phase 1: launched in Brentford and Chiswick (known as Area 1) on 5 June 2023.
- Phase 2: launched in Isleworth, Hounslow, Osterley and Spring Grove (known as Area 2) on 10 July 2023.
- Phase 3: launched in Bedfont, Cranford, Feltham, Hanworth and Heston (known as Area 3) on 18 September 2023, along with some minor amendments to the bays in Areas 1 and 2.
- Phase 4: minor amendments to the scheme completed across all areas in autumn 2023, based on scheme feedback.
The parking bays were implemented through an experimental traffic management order (ETMO) for an initial six months, with the possibility of extension to up to 18 months. This gave residents the opportunity to try using the e-bikes across all seasons and provide any comments on the scheme as part of this process.
The e-bike scheme is part of Hounslow’s Kerbside Strategy, which was approved on 16 July 2024. Read the Cabinet report here. This Cabinet report recommended that the trial be extended, so that data for a full 12-month period can be evaluated in each of the three e-bike areas. The report also delegated authority to the Assistant Director Traffic, Transport & Parking, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, to make permanent the ETMOs associated with the e-bike scheme, subject to the satisfactory review of a full 12 months of data from each scheme area, a further review of e-bike parking bay locations, consultation with ward members and implementation of the amendments set out in the Cabinet report.
Next Steps
The reviews of Phase 1 (Chiswick and Brentford) and Phase 2 (Isleworth, Osterley and Hounslow) are underway. Phase 3 (Bedfont, Cranford, Feltham, Hanworth and Heston) was introduced on 18 September 2023, meaning that it has only just experienced its first summer of operation when demand tends to be highest. Work on the Phase 3 review will begin from late September.
Trial Metrics
A range of data is being collected throughout the trial period and will be used to inform a decision on the scheme. This includes data from Lime on the number of trips made each month, the number of scheme users, key origins and destinations, collision data, numbers of scheme users receiving fines/bans. We have also been reviewing the feedback received from members, residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
For the trial to be considered a success, on balance these metrics will have demonstrated that the scheme has been a positive addition to the borough’s transport network. Any negative consequences will have been carefully managed or steps put in place to mitigate/reduce these as far as possible.
Initial Results
Appendix 3 of the 16 July 2024 Cabinet report includes an e-bike trial evaluation report, providing a more detailed analysis of initial results (as of June 2024).
The emerging results from the trial scheme are positive, particularly when compared to the unauthorised free-floating scheme that was in operation up to June 2023.
- Users and Ridership: August 2024 saw over 23,000 active users and nearly 93,000 trip starts in the borough, compared to 13,500 users and 48,600 trip starts in August 2023. The average Lime bike trip in Hounslow is around 2.3 km and lasts about 10 minutes.
- Parking Compliance: Scheme monitoring shows that 95% of trip ends are parked compliantly. Users who do not park within a bay at the end of their trip face a fine, the level of which increases after each use, before they are ultimately banned from the scheme. Since January 2024, an average of around 500 users per week are fined for improper parking in Hounslow. This number has dropped from over 1,000 fines per week in August 2023, mirroring improvements in parking compliance rates. Lime acknowledges that there is always likely to be a degree of user error that will be difficult to eliminate completely given the volume of trips starting and ending in the borough.
It should be noted that in the absence of dedicated bays for the e-bikes, local authorities do not currently have the power to prevent operators from deploying a free-floating fleet (i.e. e-bikes not parked in dedicated bays) in the borough. This will change under the new Transport Bill that is being developed by government, but the timescales for this are uncertain. In the meantime, boroughs must decide how to better regulate operations, with an increasing number choosing to create dedicated bays which operators are then required to use through an agreement with the council, which is the arrangement in place here in Hounslow. The Council considers that on balance, whilst not perfect, the mandatory bays have delivered a greater degree of control compared to the free-floating scheme that was operated by Lime prior to summer 2023.
TfL, London Councils and London boroughs are exploring the design of one coordinated future scheme to manage dockless e-bikes and e-scooters in London, through a contract, to improve parking, while increasing the quality and sustainability of services in London. The borough has expressed an intent to join this scheme. - Operator Response Times: The Council’s agreement with Lime sets out operator response times dictating how quickly the operator is expected to respond to issues such as mis-parked or damaged bicycles. Where a Lime bike is damaged/not operational (but not causing an obstruction), it must be removed within 24 hours from the time of receipt of notification and repaired before returning to the fleet. Where a Lime bike presents a danger or obstruction, it must be removed within 2 hours from the time of receipt of notification. Council staff monitor response times and to date Lime has been meeting the required timelines.
Feedback
The Council consulted on the draft Kerbside Strategy in summer/autumn 2023, which provided the opportunity for comments on the general principles of the scheme. Additionally, residents and members have been providing feedback throughout the trial, which has been recorded and is being reviewed. In response to feedback, some initial adjustments were made to parking bays in the first 6 months of operation, where appropriate. The review will consider if any further amendments are required.
E-Bike Scheme Decision Reports
The Council’s Cabinet agreed to introduce an e-bike scheme to the borough on 18th April 2023. Read the Cabinet report.
The above Cabinet report delegated authority to the Assistant Director Traffic, Transport & Parking to approve the locations for the e-bike bays as site selection work is completed. Chief Officer Decision (COD) reports for each phase of the e-bike scheme were published as follows:
- Phase 1: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Wednesday, 31 May 2023
- Phase 2: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Monday, 31 July 2023
- Phase 3: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions – Date to be updated
- Phase 4: Chief Officer Delegated Decisions - Tuesday, 31 October 2023
The table below provides the COD report link for each ward as well as detailed location plans for each parking bay (the location plans are appendices to the COD reports). In some cases, bay locations were adjusted in later phases, which is why some of the wards have multiple CODs and location plans.
|
Ward |
Phase |
COD Report(s) |
Location Plan(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bedfont |
3 & 4 |
||
|
Brentford East |
1 |
||
|
Brentford West |
1 & 3 |
||
|
Chiswick Gunnersbury |
1 |
||
|
Chiswick Homefields |
1, 3 & 4 |
App 1: Chiswick Homefields Locations |
|
|
Chiswick Riverside |
1 |
||
|
Cranford |
3 |
||
|
Syon & Brentford Lock |
1 & 2 |
||
|
Feltham North |
3 |
||
|
Feltham West |
3 |
||
|
Hanworth Village |
3 |
||
|
Hanworth Park |
3 & 4 |
||
|
Heston Central |
3 |
||
|
Heston East |
3 |
||
|
Heston West |
3 |
||
|
Hounslow Central |
2 |
||
|
Hounslow East |
2 |
||
|
Hounslow Heath |
2 |
||
|
Hounslow South |
2 |
||
|
Hounslow West |
2 & 4 |
||
|
Isleworth |
2 & 3 |
||
|
Osterley and Spring Grove |
2 & 3 |
As noted above, the e-bike scheme is part of Hounslow’s Kerbside Strategy, which was approved on 16 July 2024. Read the Cabinet report here.
