TfL could license every dockless bike operator in London under Mayor’s plan

Dockless bikes in London could come under a single set of rules run by TfL. These would replace the separate arrangements each borough now makes with operators. The Mayor has set out the plan, but no date has been fixed for it to start.

Under the proposals, TfL would decide how many bikes each operator could put out. It would also set standards for parking and maintenance. Firms would have to hand over their data so TfL could check they were following the rules and plan services. The framework is also meant to make enforcement consistent from one borough to the next and to link the bikes more closely with public transport.

What a London-wide dockless bike licence would mean

Clutter on pavements is only part of the plan. Operators would also have to meet standards on teaching people to ride safely and on how the bikes are used. City Hall wants prices that customers can understand and fair fees for boroughs. It also expects operators to keep investing in their services.

“The ‘Wild West’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue,” the Mayor said. He said the schemes had got thousands more Londoners cycling. He added that their fast growth had raised safety concerns and led to badly parked bikes, and that there was too little data to manage them properly.

When the new dockless bike rules could start

TfL has no power to run a licensing scheme yet. The government is planning legislation that could give it statutory powers to set one up. Secondary legislation and government guidance would still be needed after that, and the Department for Transport is expected to hold a consultation on how it would work. The Mayor is pressing ministers to move fast. In the meantime, TfL is drawing up its plans with the boroughs.

A fuller version of the scheme is due from TfL before the year is out. It will come with shorter-term changes aimed at making the current services work better until any licence is in place. Cycling has grown sharply in the capital: TfL puts the rise in daily cycling journeys at 43 per cent since 2019. Dockless bikes made up more than a tenth of cycle journey stages in 2024.

Work on parking has already started. This year City Hall and TfL are giving the boroughs £1.7m to pay for micromobility parking spaces. More than 36,000 of these spaces are already in place across the capital.