More than 150 locations across Kensington and Chelsea have been earmarked as potential locations for e-bike parking, as the borough seeks to keep its pavements clear.
Kensington and Chelsea Council is consulting on the locations, which would give the borough more e-bike parking per resident than anywhere else in London.
Currently providers do not have to ask their users to park in a designated space. The council says this means e-bikes have blighted pavements, causing obstructions for pedestrians and dangerous situations for people with visual impairments.
The proposed cycle space is also designed to boost visibility in a positive way, by encouraging more people to take the e-bikes for short trips, rather than using their cars, cutting carbon emissions and improving air quality in the borough.
It further aims to provide more cycle hire options for the north of the borough, which has fewer Santander bike hire locations than the south.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, lead member for planning, place and environment, said: “E-bikes are a convenient way for nipping to the shops or visiting friends nearby.
“It can, however, be really frustrating when abandoned rental e-bikes obstruct pavements. It causes problems for the disabled, pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with children in buggies.
“That’s why we’ve called upon the operators to work with us and now we’re proposing to introduce 164 new bays for these e-bikes to legally park in; keeping our pavements clear and helping make Kensington and Chelsea greener, safer and fairer for everyone.”
A consultation on the locations for the bays is open now for six weeks until 17 May. The spaces will be in existing parking bays. Residents in streets with e-bike parking will still be able to park in other bays nearby.
27 April 2023