London is set to move towards a single regulatory framework for dockless e-bikes after Mayor Sadiq Khan outlined plans for Transport for London (TfL) to take control of licensing across the capital once the government gives it powers.
The proposed system would replace the current patchwork of arrangements between London’s boroughs with common standards covering operator licensing, parking, safety, fleet management and data sharing.
The framework cannot yet be implemented. The Department for Transport must first bring forward secondary legislation and guidance that will give TfL the statutory powers to establish the scheme.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been calling for London-wide regulation since dockless e-bikes arrived in the capital in 2017. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 has now created a route for the Secretary of State for Transport to give TfL licensing powers over dockless rental bikes.
The proposed framework would give London one set of rules for operators including requirements around fleet numbers, parking, safety and data sharing. TfL would also be able to take a more consistent approach to enforcement across the capital.
Rikesh Shah, Chair of the Shared Micromobility Alliance, told Zag Daily that the new system should also preserve competition between operators.
“The framework needs the right number of operators on a level playing field regarding fleet numbers, borough access and parking,” he said. “This will ensure real competition drives innovation in product, safety and pricing in London.”
Shah also called for operators to provide TfL with verified live data so it can monitor performance and enforce compliance. He said London would need enough dedicated parking to accommodate demand without creating obstructions and suggested establishing an expert group to develop the framework.
Operators want consistency on parking and costs
The industry has broadly supported replacing the borough-by-borough system but operators are also pushing for specific changes to how the market is managed.
Alex Berwin, VP of Public Affairs at London-based shared e-bike operator Forest, said the current system prevents operators from taking a consistent approach across borough boundaries and leaves parking provision poorly matched to demand.
“A single licensing scheme would allow TfL to set consistent operating standards across London, meaning riders would have one set of rules to follow and could travel more seamlessly between boroughs,” Berwin told Zag Daily.
Forest also wants a single fixed and proportionate fee across the capital in place of different fees between boroughs. Berwin said adding revenue-share requirements and controls on user pricing on top risks a financial race to the bottom that could limit investment in maintenance and safety.
The Mayor’s plans include a city-wide approach to parking, with data used to identify where additional capacity is needed. City Hall said £1.7m has been provided to London boroughs this year for micromobility parking, with more than 36,000 spaces already available across the capital.
The wider push comes as dockless bikes account for a growing share of London’s cycling. TfL estimates that more than one in 10 cycle journey stages were made by dockless bike in 2024, while daily cycling trips across the capital have risen 43% since 2019.
The Mayor’s office says the eventual framework will also set common safety standards, strengthen enforcement and require operators to share data with TfL. Those changes remain dependent on the government completing the secondary legislation.
Until then, operators will continue to work under the existing borough-level arrangements, as TfL and City Hall prepare for a system in which the same rules would apply across the capital.
Operators Lime and Voi have joined Forest in backing the pan-London scheme.
“We support citywide regulation for shared e-bikes, giving riders and boroughs one consistent approach across London instead of a “patchwork” of rules to navigate,” Stef Lehmann, Regional Head for Government Relations at Lime UK and Ireland, said.
“To keep pace with demand, we’re working closely with TfL, boroughs and the Government on what a well-managed future service would look like. This will offer councils across the country the clarity and resources they need to encourage even more people into cycling, while also making shared e-bikes work for everyone in their communities.”
Christina Moe Gjerde, Voi’s VP for Northern Europe, called it a “long-past time” for London to have a “sensible” set of rules for dockless bikes.
“London is the last major city in Europe to regulate and set a vision for opening access to e-bikes and e-scooters, meaning Londoners are losing out on investment and opportunities for growth,” Gjerde said.
“The Government needs to get on and use the new powers by publishing the necessary secondary legislation and ensuring TfL can swiftly move forward with implementation.”
