How one Sydney Council is cracking down on e-bike companies

A Sydney Mayor has said “enough is enough”, telling e-bike operators to sign onto an agreement or leave the area.

E-bikes in a popular Sydney tourist destination are set to be impounded after the council demanded operators enter into a deal to make their use safer and better regulated.

In March, Waverley Council – which covers suburbs including Bondi, Bronte, and Dover Heights – told e-bike companies they have one month to reach an agreement with them to be allowed to continue operating in the area.

With Lime initially signing on and HelloRide eventually coming to the table, Ario and Beam bikes around the area will be impounded in line with the council’s promise.

With Lime initially signing on and HelloRide eventually coming to the table, Ario bikes around the area are set to be impounded. Picture: Newswire /Gaye Gerard

HelloRide bikes were seen getting slapped with bright orange tags by council workers before the company signed the MOU, indicating the council means business and will impound the bikes owned by businesses who do not comply.

While share bikes fall under state government jurisdiction, councils do have capacity to act on

“unattended property” under State Government Guidelines.

Under the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021, council can impound share bikes that are obstructing access to public spaces, interfering with public amenities or posing a safety risk.

Once council notifies a provider of the issue a bike is causing, the provider has three hours to

rectify the situation before the bike is impounded.

After a bike is impounded the provider has 28 days to claim the bike and pay a fee.

Mayor of Waverley Council Will Nemesh shared to Facebook that Lime Bikes have entered into an agreement that will “better manage and regulate their share bikes, contribute to the provision of parking infrastructure and establishing parameters on how and where bikes can be ridden and parked”.

The council said that “insufficient management by providers has left residents having to step over discarded bikes, greatly increasing the risk of injury”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Among the conditions set out in the Memory of Understanding, which comes into effect from June, Lime and HelloRide will set a maximum number of bikes available at any one point in time, provide designated parking locations and restricted parking zones, and implement geofencing technology to define no-go zones.

William Peters, a Lime spokesperson said: “Lime is proud to lead with Waverley Council on New South Wales’ first shared e-bike agreement”.

“This partnership is built around a dedicated parking approach that puts community needs first. This is a landmark moment that positions Sydney alongside other global cities like London and Paris, where micromobility is an integral part of the transport system,” he said.

In March, Mayor of Waverley Council Will Nemesh said that “enough is enough”, and demanded action from the share bike operators.

Mayor of Waverley City Council Will Nemesh said that “enough is enough” after receiving “hundreds” of complaints about the e-bikes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“While share bikes are a State Government responsibility, Council will not stand by and wait for somebody to be injured,” he said.

“Impounding bikes that are causing a safety risk will immediately reduce the likelihood of harm to residents and visitors.

“If share bike operators cannot do business responsibly then they should not be doing business in Waverley.”