Waverley Council and Lime sign agreement for bike limit, parking and speed rules across Sydney’s eastern suburbs

The number of e-bikes for hire will be capped and companies who won’t get on board will have dumped bikes locked up as one Sydney council moves to bring the rogue industry to heel.

The number of e-bikes in the eastern suburbs will be capped in a state-first agreement between an operator and one Sydney council in a bid to bring the rogue industry to heel.

Waverley Council and Lime have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the sharebike provider agreeing to a maximum bike limit from Bronte to Bondi and Vaucluse.

The number remains commercial in confidence but The Daily Telegraph understands it is similar to the number of Lime bikes currently in Waverley, which makes up a substantial portion of the more than 2000 e-bikes located across the area this year.

Lime has also agreed to geo-fence “no-go zones” where bikes cannot be operated or parked, which will include pedestrian malls such as Bondi Junction and environmentally sensitive areas.

The deal comes after Waverley Council gave local sharebike operators a month to come to the table or their bikes would be rounded up and locked away to stop an “uncontrolled explosion” of e-bikes being dumped on footpaths and roads.

Nadine Mansour rides a Lime bike through Bronte, where the operator will now have to provide parking infrastructure and geo-fence “no-go” zones. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Lime was the only operator to meet the deadline, meaning Waverley Council will now start impounding discarded Hello Bike and Airo bikes until both companies sign similar agreements.

Waverley Council Mayor Will Nemesh said the historic deal with Lime would improve public safety after sharebike trips increased by 350 per cent in the area between 2021 and 2024, wreaking havoc on local streets.

The agreement will aim to stop bikes being littered and dumped across the eastern suburbs. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“We have taken urgent action because our community has had a gut full of e-bikes being carelessly dumped all over the place,” he said.

“This agreement is about ensuring there is a clearly defined framework of accountability and transparency for share bike operators.”

The agreement will commence on June 30 and last for two years, starting with a six-month trial period for designated parking areas on footpaths and potential on-street spaces.

Lime will have to contribute towards the cost of setting up its own parking infrastructure.

Parked e-bikes that obstruct public access must be relocated by Lime within three hours of being identified or council will impound the bike and issue a fine.

Waverley Council Mayor Will Nemesh said the agreement aimed to crackdown on the e-bikes due to lack of state government legislation or enforcement.

The maximum speed at which Lime’s e-bikes can operate under electric power across Waverley will also be set at 25km/h in line with the state regulated speed limit.

Although sharebikes are a state government policy area, councils have the capacity to act on “unattended property”.

Mr Nemesh previously said the lack of clear legislation and government action on e-bikes had led to the eastern suburbs being “overrun” with bikes littered across the area and ridden at dangerous speeds.

Lime regional director William Peters said the agreement would mark a new era for e-bike operation in NSW that prioritised regulation and community safety.

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

“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.

“Lime will work closely with council to roll out parking infrastructure, enhance compliance, and give residents, businesses, and visitors more transport options.”

Originally published as Waverley Council and Lime sign agreement for bike limit, parking and speed rules across Sydney’s eastern suburbs