Labour is set to unveil plans tomorrow to tighten controls on e-bikes, while stopping short of banning the controversial vehicles.
Ministers are proposing a new licensing system designed to bring what they describe as ‘wild west’ riding on Britain’s streets under control.
The measures would target e-bikes abandoned on pavements and street corners, ridden on footpaths or used to run red lights, as complaints about anti-social behaviour continue to mount.
However, an early version of the proposals seen by the Mail does not include an outright ban—a decision likely to disappoint families affected by collisions involving reckless e-bike riders.
The plans would initially cover rental e-bikes only, rather than privately owned models, which critics argue pose the greater threat.
Government sources said ministers intend to announce separate measures targeting privately owned e-bikes in the coming months.
Police forces across the country are dealing with a sharp increase in illegal e-bike use. The number of seized devices climbed by 83 per cent, from 3,858 to 7,049, in the year to May.
Large clusters of rental e-bikes are creating obstacles for pedestrians in cities across the country, with pavements frequently blocked
The proposed rules are intended to prevent riders from leaving rental e-bikes in large numbers across pavements
E-bikes are regularly abandoned in streets after use, an issue repeatedly raised by groups campaigning for safer pedestrian spaces
MPs have branded privately owned e-bikes the ‘perfect accessory to phone theft, mugging and drug dealing’, amid concerns that criminal gangs are increasingly using them to target victims.
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Rental schemes have generated a separate wave of complaints, with abandoned bikes obstructing pavements and access routes used by elderly and disabled people, as well as parents with prams.
Users hire the bikes through apps and pay according to the length of their journeys. Some have been accused of riding on pavements and weaving unpredictably through traffic.
Under the proposed rules, riders would have to leave e-bikes in designated parking areas rather than scattering them across pavements.
The new licensing framework would set tougher standards for local authorities to enforce. It would also introduce fines for riders who use e-bikes while drunk, travel on pavements, cross red lights or otherwise breach road rules.
The announcement is nevertheless expected to anger campaigners who want the devices banned, particularly as traffic involving e-bikes and e-scooters continues to increase.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who will launch a consultation tomorrow, told Our News Outlet: ‘We should be frank: in too many places, dockless hire bikes are being used in a wild-west fashion.
‘[Our News Outlet] readers will have seen bikes scattered across pavements, dumped in rivers and abandoned in front gardens in ways that are careless and, at times, dangerous.
‘Am I suggesting that we get rid of all of them? Absolutely not. But we must restore order to the chaos we see today.’
She continued: ‘That means tougher enforcement, including fines, for jumping red lights, riding on pavements and engaging in other illegal or anti-social behaviour.’
Eleanor Briggs, from the sight-loss charity Guide Dogs, welcomed the proposals. She said: ‘Guide Dogs regularly hears from people with vision impairments about irresponsible and anti-social e-bike use on pavements, which puts pedestrians at risk.’
