Mayor issues warning to new bike hire operators

A NEW bike hire scheme has launched in Sydney. American company Lime is dropping hundreds of bikes across the city prompting the Waverley mayor to issue a stark warning.

A line of Lime bikes at the weekend

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A NEW bike hire scheme has launched in Sydney.

American company Lime dropped 300 of its electric bicycles across the city last Friday with hundreds more promised over the coming weeks.

It will be unwelcome news to many in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs following the problems caused by the likes of Ofo and Reddy Go earlier this year.

Waverley Mayor John Wakefield, who led the fight against hire bike operators earlier this year, fired a warning to Lime’s San Francisco bosses.

Waverley Mayor John Wakefield has told Lime bike bosses to be responsible. (AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

“If they are responsible then we have no problem,” he said. “But if they aren’t then I will have no hesitation in having our rangers impound the bikes.”

The mayor said he is also seeking legal advice on whether the bikes can be classified in the same way as vending machines so they can be regulated.

“I would like to stress that this roll-out is a commercial project by Lime Bikes and not a project or activity of council in anyway,” he said.

“The business model for the dockless bike industry does not, unfortunately, require Council approval under current NSW law.

This was a common site in Bondi earlier this year. Pic John Grainger

“Council does, however, have the authority to impound dockless bikes and issues fines, and we will have no hesitation in doing so if this latest roll-out impacts negatively on local amenity or creates safety or public nuisance concerns.

“Council will not tolerate poor behaviour from operators and or irresponsible users.”

The hire bikes are dotted around the city and users can access them via a smartphone app.

It costs $1 to unlock one of the bikes and then 30 cents per minute.

The University of Sydney’s Michiel Bliemer, who is one of Australia’s leading urban transport experts, told the Wentworth Courier, that unlike Ofo and Reddy Go, Lime could be here to stay.

“The other schemes didn’t discuss and work with local government about how best to place their bikes,” he said. “But Lime appear to be working more closely with them. If they are well managed, they have a good chance of succeeding.”

One of the main problems with previous schemes was that users dumped bikes at Bondi and other beaches, as they didn’t want to have to cycle back uphill.

Michael Bliemer has said Lime bikes could have potential in the city. Pic Glenn Duffus

“All the bikes are electric,” Prof Bliemer added. “As long as they are powerful enough to get up hills then we shouldn’t see the same problem with them being dumped.”

However, he said the problem of cycle parking could be the company’s downfall.

“That is still going to be the big issue for the community. The real solution is that the government needs to create dedicated parking spaces for cycles, just like they do for share cars.

“It would not be difficult to sacrifice one parking space. Think how many bikes you could get in just one space.”

Lime also offers electric scooter hire schemes in American and the company is said to be in talks with the NSW Government about a trial.

The company wants to introduce electric scooters to Sydney. (AAP Image/Claudia Baxter)

The law would first need to be changed with scooters banned on public roads and footpaths in NSW.

“I tried them when I was in LA and they were fantastic,” Prof Bliemer said. “They are quick and take up less space than electric bikes.”

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