London borough dubbed first 'mini-Holland' set to lift e-bike ban after 8 years
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
A flagship cycling borough in outer London is poised to lift its eight-year ban on dockless e-bikes, with Waltham Forest Labour Party pledging to introduce a scheme if it retains control of Waltham Forest in May’s local elections.
The move would open the door for operators including Lime, Forest and Voi to deploy thousands of rental bikes across the borough, potentially creating a major new market and generating revenue for the council, with Labour’s manifesto stating: “We will work with dockless bike providers to introduce a scheme which works for all residents.”
The shift follows growing demand, including a petition signed by more than 1,200 people last summer calling for Lime bikes to be allowed, and recent discussions between council officials led by deputy leader Clyde Loakes and major operators.
Waltham Forest, covering Walthamstow, Leytonstone, Leyton and Chingford, was London’s first “mini-Holland” borough, with low-traffic neighbourhoods and extensive segregated cycle lanes transforming local streets.
On the 10th anniversary of the scheme, walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman described the borough as a global model, while it was also named the best outer London borough for cycling in the Healthy Streets Scorecard last year.
Despite this, the council has resisted dockless e-bikes since a failed 2017 trial with Irish firm Urbo, which saw 250 bikes removed after just 10 months in what critics labelled a “fiasco”.
Neighbouring boroughs including Hackney, Haringey, Tower Hamlets and Newham have since embraced e-bikes, recording millions of journeys annually through expanded schemes.
Hal Stevenson, director of policy at Lime, said: “We welcome the news that Waltham Forest is moving forward with plans to launch a shared bike service.
“Waltham Forest is already a real hub for cycling, with significant investment from the council in cycle lanes and infrastructure, so shared e-bikes feel like a natural next step.”
Campaigners have urged the council to ensure any scheme allows seamless travel across borough boundaries, with Simon Munk of the London Cycling Campaign saying: “Dockless e-bike hire has enabled far more people and a wider range of people to cycle in London.
“We hope every new borough enabling e-bike hire works with neighbouring boroughs so that borough boundaries don't become barriers.”
The Conservatives have criticised the proposal, with Emma Best calling it a “desperate ploy” to stem losses to the Greens and warning residents not to trust previous manifesto promises.
The council argues that expanding cycling and walking is central to its ambition of becoming a net-zero borough by 2030, pointing to its 35 miles of cycle track and more than 1,200 cycle hangars as evidence of its long-term commitment.