TL;DR
Get business pricing on garage and car supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the Department for Transport to publish regulations that would let London introduce city-wide licensing for dockless e-bike hire schemes. The powers were granted by the English Devolution Act, but borough-by-borough agreements remain in place until the government sets out the required rules.
Khan’s office says the government’s regulations are needed to address concerns associated with hire bikes, including poor parking, unsafe riding, collisions and limited protection for people injured in incidents involving hire bikes. Khan said the services have helped more Londoners cycle, while their rapid growth has brought challenges for safety and management.
The mayor’s call follows an earlier report that plans for a London-wide approach faced delay because the DfT intended to hold a public consultation. The source report does not give a publication date for the regulations or set out the consultation timetable. The English Devolution Act became law in April 2026, but the secondary rules needed to activate the licensing powers are still outstanding.
Under the existing system, individual boroughs make agreements with operators, sometimes through contracts and sometimes through memorandums of understanding. The source report says borough boundaries can restrict where riders travel and park, contributing to bottlenecks and crowded parking areas near those boundaries. It also reports that some operators have continued to operate after borough agreements expired; Khan’s proposed licensing system is intended to close that legal loophole.
One Licence Across London
A city-wide system could replace a patchwork of local agreements with consistent rules across borough boundaries. That could make it easier for riders to use hire bikes for journeys that cross boroughs and for local authorities to manage parking and operator conduct under a shared framework.
The change could also affect how operators expand their services. The source report says major providers have welcomed the proposal, with a London-wide licence potentially allowing them to operate across a wider area. That is a prospect, not a confirmed outcome: the rules, licence terms and implementation arrangements have not yet been published.
For residents and people cycling in London, the central issue is whether the new framework will give authorities practical ways to address reported problems while preserving access to shared bikes. The mayor has also described ambitions to support London’s cycling growth and build a sustainable financial future for the wider micromobility market, which includes e-scooters.
Borough Deals Still Govern
At present, boroughs separately agree terms with hire-bike companies. The arrangements mean operators’ permitted areas can differ across London, and riders may face limits on where they can leave a bike. The source report describes parking pressure around borough borders as one consequence of this fragmented setup.
The English Devolution Act, which became law in April 2026, gives the Mayor of London power to determine licensing and regulation of e-bike hire across the capital. But the act alone does not put a city-wide scheme into operation: the DfT must issue secondary legislation first. A consultation the department plans to hold has been cited as a reason the process may take longer.
The mayor’s statement was made at the Labour Party conference. According to the report, Khan said two public consultations had found about 70 percent of local residents supported the proposal. That figure is attributed to his remarks; the source material does not provide the consultation questions, dates or underlying results.
““The ‘Wild West’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue.””
— Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Rules And Timetable Awaited
The DfT has not, in the source material, announced when it will publish the required regulations or how long any public consultation will take. The licensing terms, enforcement powers and launch timetable for a London-wide scheme are also not specified.
It is not yet clear how the system would handle existing borough agreements, which operators would qualify, or what requirements would apply to parking, riding and data sharing. The source report describes these as issues the scheme is intended to address, but provides no draft rules or final policy details.
The reported support from residents and operators does not establish that all boroughs or Londoners back the proposal. The source material also does not quantify the scale of collisions, parking problems or injuries linked to hire bikes.
DfT Must Publish Regulations
The immediate next step is for the Department for Transport to issue the secondary legislation that would allow the mayor’s licensing powers to take effect. Khan is pressing the department to act quickly, while Lime and Voi have also called for the government to publish the necessary rules.
After the regulations are set out, the Mayor of London and Transport for London would need to determine how to implement a city-wide system and coordinate it with boroughs and operators. The timing and details of that work have not been confirmed in the source material.
Key Questions
What is Sadiq Khan asking the government to do?
He is urging the Department for Transport to publish secondary legislation needed to enable city-wide licensing of dockless e-bike hire schemes in London.
Why does London need new regulations?
The English Devolution Act gave the mayor licensing powers, but the source report says additional government regulations are required before those powers can be used. Borough-by-borough agreements remain in place in the meantime.
What problems does the proposed system aim to address?
Khan’s office cites parking, unsafe riding, collisions and limited protection for people injured in incidents involving hire bikes. The source material does not quantify these problems or give the proposed rules for addressing them.
When will a London-wide licence system begin?
No start date has been announced in the source material. The DfT must issue the required regulations first, and the timetable for consultation and implementation remains unclear.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
