New measures to curb E-Bike chaos in Wandsworth

Riders will be banned from abandoning e-bikes on busy town centre pavements in a south London borough under a new scheme.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Wandsworth Council is set to implement a ban on the abandonment of e-bikes on busy town centre pavements, in a bid to restore order. This decision follows the Council's initiative to install 111 dedicated e-bike parking bays throughout the borough.

Key locations for these new bays include Clapham Junction, Tooting Broadway, Tooting Bec, Wandsworth Town, Balham, and Putney town centres.

The Council embarked on the installation of these bays on June 20th, with completion expected within four weeks.

The authority said e-bike parking will be banned on pavements in busy town centre locations once all the bays have been installed, while responsible ‘free-floating’ parking will still be allowed away from these hotspots and in quieter parts of the borough. More e-bike parking bays are expected to be installed later in the year.

David Tidley, Head of Transport Strategy at the Council, said it supports the use of e-bikes as a ‘convenient travel option’ for residents and visitors, but that they cause issues when parked inconsiderately.

He said: “They’re a clean and sustainable way of getting around and help to improve local air quality. We are really pleased that there have already been more than a million journeys made by e-bike in Wandsworth.

“But residents will know that there have been some challenges, with a small minority of riders abandoning bikes without any thought for pedestrians and local communities. These new bays will help riders to park in fixed town-centre locations and encourage considerate parking.”