Electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric scooters (e-scooters) will soon be available to more people in the borough, providing them with greater active travel options.
Ealing Council is expanding the areas that residents are permitted to use e-bikes, which are currently available to rent from Lime and TIER in the eastern half of the borough, around Ealing and Acton town centres. Residents around Southall can rent them from May, and they will be introduced to the rest of the borough later in the year.
As part of this expansion, the council has identified a number of locations for e-bikes and e-scooters parking. These will be marked bays on the road and pavement, avoiding clutter on pavements and allowing e-bikes and e-scooters to be parked neatly and safely.
More than 58,000 e-bike journeys were made in the borough every month in 2023, helping people who don’t own a bike to cycle more. Their speed is limited to 15.5mph.
The operator’s app is used to rent an e-bike. Charges start at 23p per minute. You can buy a 30-minute ride pass for £3.
The council is planning to introduce signage to make the parking bays easier to find.
E-scooters
Electric scooter (e-scooter) rental is also currently only available in the eastern half of the borough, around Ealing and Acton town centres, by Lime, Dott and Voi. It is illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes.
More than 268,000 e-scooter journeys have been made in the borough since June 2021. Their speed is limited to 12.5mph and the e-scooters must be parked in designated bays.
To hire an e-scooter, you must be 18 or over and have a full or provisional driving license. Download the operator’s app which you can find on the e-scooter. All operators charge £1 to unlock the e-scooter, with charges of 15p – 20p per minute afterwards.
Parking
Both e-bikes and e-scooters must be returned to designated parking bays, which are currently located on pavements and are not always clearly marked. In bringing e-bikes and e-scooters to Southall and the rest of the borough, the council is planning to put the majority of parking bays onto roads and in some cases on wider pavements, with clear markings to show where the e-bikes and e-scooters must park. This will keep pavements clear and improve accessibility, including for pedestrians and wheelchair users. Pavement parking in areas that already have e-scooters and e-bikes will be relocated on the roadway later in the roll-out.
To make sure that the proposed parking locations meet the needs of local people, with the help of Let’s Go Southall, Ealing Council officers met with Southall residents in February to hear their views. The council will be asking more residents about the proposed parking locations later this month. Look out for notices in locations near you.
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, deputy leader and member for climate action said: “It’s right that Southall residents will now be able to choose low cost and low polluting e-bikes and e-scooters, just like residents in other parts of the borough. Our new on-street parking bays will also ensure pavements are kept clear of clutter and bikes can be parked safely.
“We’re investing £10million to make walking and cycling easier for residents, as part of our commitment to active travel and to tackling air pollution. E-bikes and e-scooters are a cheap and convenient alternative for residents who want to help fight the climate crisis by leaving their car at home for shorter trips.”
Read more about the expansion on the council’s website.
