London's Ebike Crisis Isn't About Too Many Bikes – It's About Parking

When Convenience Becomes a Crisis

As someone who has operated shared ebikes in London for years, I've seen firsthand the transformation this mode of transport has brought to our streets. The numbers are staggering: Forest alone logged 3 million rides in just one month. We're talking about a revolution in urban mobility that's reshaping how Londoners get around—cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable than ever before.

Shared ebikes have become a key part of London's transport network… demand keeps rising, and operators are logging ever-higher ride-per-bike ratios.

But there's another side to this story—every day, headlines scream about misparked bikes. The images are familiar: e-bikes blocking traffic islands, jamming pavements, creating hazards for pedestrians and cyclists alike. These aren't isolated incidents—they're a systemic problem with roots deeper than the simple act of leaving a bike in the wrong place.

The Real Issue: A Misplaced Priority

I don't deny that poor parking is a legitimate frustration. As an operator, I'm deeply aware of this issue and the public outcry it generates. But I also know that the solution lies not in eliminating ebikes but in solving the parking puzzle that has become a central obstacle to integration.

Paris: A Model for Urban Reimagining

The answer isn't hidden far away—it's right here, across Europe. Paris provides one of the clearest examples of how shared mobility can be integrated into city life without causing chaos. When Anne Hidalgo was mayor, she didn't just build more cycle lanes; she rethought public space itself.

Her administration converted tens of thousands of on-street car parking spaces into Vélib' docking stations and dedicated micromobility bays. These changes did more than accommodate bikes—they opened up room for wider pavements, more greenery, and safer streets for everyone.

A single car parking space can hold about 10 bicycles. Repurposed, that space now serves hundreds of people a day instead of storing one stationary vehicle.

It's a simple but profound realization: what we do with our public streets determines how well they serve us. In Paris, that meant prioritizing mobility over ownership, and it made all the difference.

London Is at a Crossroads

The opportunity for London to make similar changes is here now. The city's car ownership rates are falling—nearly half of households no longer own a car, rising to nearly two-thirds in inner London. Yet even with this shift, about 18% of households in inner London still own two or more vehicles.

At the same time, the recently passed English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act has tasked TfL with creating a pan-London licensing framework for shared micromobility. This is our moment to ensure that parking isn't just an afterthought but a core part of how we manage these systems.

Transforming Public Space, One Bay at a Time

I propose a bold solution: convert even 15% of current on-street parking used for second cars into dedicated micromobility bays. That could unlock space for nearly one million shared ebikes—far more than we currently have and far more than we'll ever need.

This isn't just about solving a parking problem—it's about reimagining public space for the 21st century. It's time to stop seeing street space as a commodity reserved for private vehicles, and start viewing it as a shared resource that should support sustainable transport for all Londoners.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

London has one of the best-connected transport networks in the world. But if we want that system to truly work for everyone, we must be willing to question old assumptions and embrace bold change. Shared ebikes are here to stay, but they deserve better infrastructure—better planning, better allocation of space, and ultimately, better integration into our daily lives.

The time is now. The solution exists. Let's build it together.