Over 1,000 dockless bikes seized in Westminster

More than 1,000 dockless bikes have been seized from Westminster's streets since May as part of a council crackdown on obstructive parking.

Westminster City Council said it had also issued more than 5,300 fixed penalty notices to bike operators during the same period, amounting to more than £53,000.

Caroline Sargent, the council's deputy leader and cabinet member for enforcement, said: "We promised we would take action against badly parked dockless bikes and we meant it."

The figures were announced on the same day dockless bike operators and transport officials discussed how the schemes should be regulated across London at a London Assembly meeting.

Westminster Council said it had recently doubled the number of enforcement patrols and said teams seized a record 217 bikes in one week.

The authority said the bikes would continue to be removed where they caused an obstruction, with operators charged for their return.

Sargent added: "Behind each of these 1,000 seizures is a resident who has been inconvenienced by a bike left where it shouldn't be.

"That could be a parent with a pushchair, a wheelchair user blocked from getting through, or someone forced to step into the road."

She said that "bike companies must take responsibility for their property".

The crackdown comes amid wider debate over how dockless bikes should be managed across London.

According to statistics cited by the London Assembly, 18% of all cycle collisions involved a hired cycle in 2025, up from 2% in 2017, with six deaths recorded since 2017 and riders making up about 80% of those injured in 2025.

At the moment, individual boroughs have their own arrangements with operators, meaning rules can vary across the capital.

Dockless bike companies told a London Assembly Transport Committee meeting on Thursday that differing rules were creating problems for operators and users.

The committee was examining the challenges facing dockless hire bikes and what powers TfL should have under a new regulatory framework.

Lime's deputy regional head of government relations, Alice Pleasant, described a "patchwork" of regulations, while Voi's Harry Foskin said gaps in agreements with boroughs created a "struggle".

Bolt's Georgia Heathman said the "patchwork approach doesn't work for the city, or for customers or for investors".

She also said the parking infrastructure had not kept pace with demand, and companies were working with boroughs to secure more spaces.

Dr Will Norman, London's walking and cycling commissioner, said: "I think dockless bikes are hugely popular in London, they've become a key part of London's sustainable transport network."

He added: "One in 10 bike journeys are using those dockless bikes and there's potential for more really significant growth."

Earlier this year, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 gave the transport secretary the ability to give TfL statutory powers to establish a framework for dockless micro-mobility schemes.

However, those powers are not currently expected to be in place until at least 2028.

Norman said he had written to the government asking it to speed up the process, but said further legislation was needed before the new powers could be introduced.

Additional reporting by Victoria Cook

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk