Forum Topic

e-bike crackdown by Ealing Council

This is a very welcome development and hopefully it will prompt Hounslow Council to do likewise and start impounding bikes. Wandsworth has been doing it for some time and apparently it is very effective.If you do see a bike causing an obstruction, please do report it. The people most affected by this - the elderly and the disabled - are less likely to have the mobile phone app that you need to do this. Even though you might not be particularly inconvenienced by bikes causing an obstruction, it would be really appreciated if you helped get them moved.

Diane Brown ● 20d48 Comments

Can we do it for cars vans and lorrys parked blocking pavements as well and get the impounded too?

Paul James ● 20d

By that argument, rental bikes scattered all over the road would be acceptable, bearing in mind all the parked cars that are equally 'scattered all over the road'!

Peter Evans ● 20d

well no, but there should be much more bike parking IN The road for ebikes rather than on the pavement.

Paul James ● 20d

They should impound the drivers and riders. It’s they who cause the problem, not the machine.As Paul so amply demonstrates, intelligence isn’t required to ride a bike.

Simon Hayes ● 20d

Paul James ● 20d

And your point is Paul? A traffic warden deployed there, or even those cameras so beloved of local authorities, would stop the pavement parking you love to bang on about. Banning cars and closing roads isn’t the answer. As you know but refuse to admit.And if those are your photos you might need to consider a new career.

Simon Hayes ● 20d

"Can we do it for cars vans and lorrys"Uh...it's already being done. For years. Decades even. What Diane neglected to mention is this development in Ealing is also lucrative. It's not rocket science to figure out the need for increasing revenue from all road users. Mandatory cyclist testing and registration is only a matter of time. Get this, it would also be about safety!

David Lesniak ● 20d

And yes, whilst it's a good idea to ensure pavements aren't blocked by rental ebikes, cars lorries and vans have been "cracking down" on pavements in Ealing for years.I've reported a LOT of cracked pavements, and sometimes the council fixes them, but then they get cracked again soon after as the council seems allegeric to using bollards to stop people driving and parking on them in the first place. This is not the worst I've seen but a classic example.

Paul James ● 20d

Of course, Paul, you also have myriad examples all over London where vehicles are permitted to park precisely as the photo indicates.Why ignore facts?

David Lesniak ● 20d

>Paul, you also have myriad examples all over London where vehicles are permitted to park precisely as the photo indicates.Pavement parking is illegal in London, except where permitted by signs. There are no signs permitting it here David, or in most other places in London I see motor vehicles on the pavment.

Paul James ● 20d

Paul James ● 20d

it would be nice if the police could also do something about masked youths barrelling down the pavement on souped up electric bikes - that kinda stuff used to be illegal!

Davey Harris ● 19d

Simon, it's a hell of a stretch to go from peripatetic village idiot to a career that is of even limited use to wider society as Paul knows, which is why he chooses not to do so.

N V Brooks ● 19d

Point being, Paul, if cracked pavement annoys you then lobby for no parking nor loading of any kind on the pavement. But as long as you keep pushing for more and more paved real estate, then expect more of this to happen. When there is no loading provision, commercial vehicles will do what's needed to get the job done. Looked at another way, to get the goods and services to you.

David Lesniak ● 19d

This thread is about illegal e-bikes. It’s nothing to do with cars which are easily identifiable and subject to prosecution. So pop off Paul, you’re on the wrong thread.

Steve Taylor ● 19d

>This thread is about illegal e-bikesNo it's not.

Paul James ● 19d

Oh yes it is...

Keith Iddon ● 19d

This thread is about inconsiderate parking of e-bikes which includes inconsiderate use of them - so surely both legal and not!

Philippa Bond ● 19d

>Oh yes it is..It's not, it's about badly parked hire (legal) ebikes blocking pavements."Ealing councillors will next week debate a major shift in how the borough manages dockless e-bikes."https://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=community&link=https://neighbournet.com/server/common/earoads033.htm

Paul James ● 19d

Yes, this thread is about bikes parked illegally. If they aren’t parked illegally there would hardly be a ‘crackdown’ by Ealing Council. This thread is nothing to do with cars parked on yellow lines or pavements. That’s irrelevant to Ealing’s ‘crackdown’.

Steve Taylor ● 18d

Paul James winces in pain as he firmly grasps the wrong end of the stick yet again.

N V Brooks ● 18d

>This thread is nothing to do with cars parked on yellow lines or pavements.Why didn't you just say "illegal cars"?

Paul James ● 18d

The main point I was trying to make is getting obscured by side issues, so I will reiterate it.The move by Ealing Council is very welcome but there is a potential issue that the people who are worst affected by badly parked e-bikes might be less able to use the council's recommended reporting method. Therefore I was hopeful that people, for whom this problem is little more than a minor inconvenience, as they have enough mobility so simple side step obstructive bikes, would take the time to report obstructions nonetheless.If you don't wish to do this because you are sensitive to anything that might be seen as showing a negative attitude towards cycling, that is your prerogative.It was suggested that I was remiss in not raising the matter of obstructively parked motor vehicles so I reflected on whether I should have done so.While this is undeniably an annoyance, it has little relevance to this discussion. If you visit an area where e-bikes are parked in large numbers such as tube or train stations, there will be a very high probability almost every day that your way will be blocked to a degree. The ability to report this will reduce the problem and make a significant difference to others.Obstructively parked motor vehicles are much less common. The last time I can recall being anyway inconvenienced by one was in the summer when it was blocking a dropped kerb. I would have no hesitation in reporting this but there is no similar programme from the council to remove such vehicle and best case is that a ticket would be give out - which in turn gives the driver an incentive to remain badly parked longer than they might otherwise have done.

Diane Brown ● 18d

Paul is seriously anti-car obscured by the "there are too many cars" excuse. This of course does not apply to his own car when he is driving.

N V Brooks ● 18d

One problem is that there is no single app (AFAIK) that you can use to report issues of pavements being blocked.LBHF have a "H&F Report It Love Clean Streets" app you can download, Hounslow suggest reporting the issue to Fix my Street or contacting the scheme operators. I didn't even bother to try finding out how you do it in Ealing.Regarding driver's having an incentive to park for longer if they have a ticket, for "worse" offences like parking on the pavement and blocking the pavement so people with less mobility can't get past, there is always the option of removing the vehicle, which might encourage people to go, even after receiving a ticket. Overstaying ( or not paying for parking) is one thing, but parking where you are never ever meant to can be a bit ( and sometimes can be a lot) more of an inconvenience to pedestrians, especially if the vehicle is just left there ( rather than being there temporarily while e.g. loading is being undertaken).

Andrew Jones ● 18d

According to the article, Ealing are using the Love Clean Streets app so you should report through that.My own approach is to move bikes that are causing an obstruction when I can. Diane is right that this is an endemic problem - I'm regularly moving bikes around Turnham Green station.I think Ealing does tow vehicles but rarely in the Chiswick area for obvious reasons. I don't think Hounslow does - I can't recall seeing a vehicle being towed. Enforcement seems to be do on a quantitive rather than qualitative basis. The system should incentivise the wardens to target drivers causing obstructions rather than those parked in a bay but staying in the shops 10 minutes too long.

Mark Evans ● 18d

Fixmystreet used to cover everywhere - I've used it all over the country - but somehow Hounslow adopted and adapted it to suit and work for them and Ealing started to refuse to use it, insisted on creating their own different one - most annoying and more bureaucratic and of course will have ensured they got fewer reports!

Philippa Bond ● 17d

>If you don't wish to do this because you are sensitive to anything that might be seen as showing a negative attitude towards cycling, that is your prerogative.People should do this. I do it all the time although I'm more likely to report bad parking in the lime app itself, but then I use lime bikes so I have the app and I understand not all do or even the love cleaan streets app.>It was suggested that I was remiss in not raising the matter of obstructively parked motor vehicles so I reflected on whether I should have done so.I didn't suggest you were being remiss. I was just stating it's all well and good the council saying ebikes left in an obstructive way need sorting, which is obviously the case, but it's ignored pavement parking for a loooooong time.There's parking spaces all over Ealing that when used the gap between the wall and the car is like two feet or less wide, only just enough to be able to walk thoguh if you're able, and certanly not passable if you're using a mobilty aid. And that's before you have to deal with cars vans and lorries parked on and across pavements.Here's a classic, this has been like this for years:https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5049182,-0.3200491,24a,75y,246.05h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sa7_AphDBb4xOIafRQvDG1w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.clients6.google.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0%26panoid%3Da7_AphDBb4xOIafRQvDG1w%26yaw%3D246.0509151613221!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MTAxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Paul James ● 17d

A classic deflection response from Ealing's peripatetic village idiot.

N V Brooks ● 16d

But Paul is absolutely right that there IS also a problem with entitled drivers of motor vehicles parking on double yellow lines in main streets, riding over pavements dislodging and cracking paving stones making walking or wheeling past them difficult and dangerous for all pedestrians and mobility scooters and buggies which have to then walk out into the road.  Not everyone will survive their fall or accident but unfortunately this behaviour will continue whilst there are people who think there is a good chance they will get away with it.

Philippa Bond ● 16d

"riding over pavements dislodging and cracking paving stones"Philippa, when the cycleway removes loading capacity this is the end result. Several times a week I watch the pubs on King Street get their deliveries. HGVs parked up on the pavement while they unload the kegs. The same with the armored cars. And per Paul's example, new loading bays that are straddling the pavement and the roadway. Similarly, at Kings Cross, TfL just removed a loading bay on Pancras Road. A second lane for dropping off passengers in front of the station was also removed. So what, goods and people should now be teleported???

David Lesniak ● 16d

My response however Philippa was absolutely valid. This thread is about Ealing cracking down on illegal ebikes but, as usual, the peripatetic village idiot deflects it to reflect his own hatred of cars despite being a driver himself.

N V Brooks ● 15d

“ there IS also a problem with entitled drivers of motor vehicles parking on double yellow lines in main streets, riding over pavements dislodging and cracking paving stones making walking or wheeling past them difficult ”Yes, but that is totally irrelevant to this thread because this isn’t the thread to debate it. This thread is about the scum behaviour of e-bike users and the lackadaisical behaviour of e-bike operators.

Steve Taylor ● 15d

My whole point is that I don't think that ANYONE should be thinking that their INCONSIDERATE & ILLEGAL behaviour is acceptable and everyone should be thinking more about their actions.There are also problems with planting overhanging the pavements especially prickly stuff like roses at head height and the RNIB have recently called out people who leave their bins on the pavement for longer than necessary - if that's actually at all necessary...Don't be so tunnel-visioned and stop deliberately trying to set one group of people against another - it is how the Second World War was caused.  Just be more considerate!

Philippa Bond ● 15d

Channel 5 Wednesday 14th. Invasion of th E-Bikes:Scourge of our Streets.A documentary highlighting the lack of regulation,the dangers of the modified 'bicycles' capable of 40mph+ the benefits to commuters and the issues affecting the visually impaired.Worth a watch on Catch-up.

Adrian Irving ● 15d

Hold the front page! Chiswick is about to start WW3, according to Philippa.I’m surprised you’ve reached your advanced age Philippa and seem to be blissfully unaware of human nature. People are fundamentally selfish. Lecturing them to change their ways never works.Steve is correct. This thread is about e-bikes. What’s always noticeable with Paul and his chums is that any criticism of cycling or cyclists is unacceptable and they have to be defended. Usually by pointing at the behaviour of other people.

Simon Hayes ● 15d

We really shouldn't be surprised. All the evidence points to the conclusion that left to their own devices a frighteningly large number of human beings are lazy, selfish creatures. The only thing that constrains this natural instinct is the fear of punishment. In more recent times drivers of vehicles have become accustomed to the potential for retribution; increasingly so with the use of technology to record transgressions. This is the only reason that you don't routinely see motor vehicles driving on pavements and ignoring one-way streets. On the other hand there is currently no such wide-ranging restriction affecting cyclists and pedestrians (quite possibly the same people who drive cars). The use of mobile phones in cars showed just how dangerous and inconsiderate many of us could be left to our own devices and it took a while before legislation caught up and brought this under some kind of control.Self-policing just does not work, whether it's cyclists routinely ignoring red lights and pedestrian crossings and dumping hire-bikes where they will or pedestrians wandering into traffic while glued to a video on their phone.There is an easy solution - we all just need to obey the rules and if we don't there must be consequences, applied without fear or favour no matter whether we drive, cycle or walk around our shared spaces.

Bruce Hammal ● 15d

>Invasion of th E-Bikes:Scourge of our Streets.Did it mean, in relation to bikes doing 40mph + Invasion of the electric mopeds and electric motorbikes: Scourge of our Streets.Two wheelers that can motor along on their own are not ebikes, they are powered two wheelers, motor vehicles and the riders are motor cyclists.e-bikein British Englishnouna bicycle that includes an electric motor as an aid to propulsionCollins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins PublishersNote the word aid there.moped(moʊped IPA Pronunciation Guide)Word forms: mopedscountable nounA moped is a small motorcycle which you can also pedal like a bicycle.[mainly British]He is going to get himself an electric moped.

Paul James ● 15d

As I understand it the only legal ones on the roads and in our parks are those that are part of an official hire scheme and have a max speed of 15mph.  However they all look/seem the same when you are tripping over them or they are hurtling towards you.Only that is not only what we are seeing on the streets and in our parks and in the bicycle lanes in huge numbers together with those legal ones.  There are an awful lot these souped up ones that can be difficult to assess the speed of as well as more which are actually designed to go much faster and these are illegal.  These should be licenced and inspected regularly as motor bikes and the riders should have passed tests in order to ride them and have their own licences.BTW I did read Diane's initial post and didn't respond immediately but until she had responded because I did realise she was addressing one particular aspect.  Many people can also drive but that doesn't preclude them using other means of transport but it usually does mean that they have actually passed a driving test - although the Highway Code has changes which they should also be observing.  (I doubt there are very many still driving who didn't have to because it was wartime!)I did watch the Channel 5 programme last night (but I'd also seen another programme on the police stopping illegally souped up electric bikes) and I also watched most of the Mayor's Question Time this morning because there is also a problem with the way in which lithium ion batteries (used in so very many things about the house) are being disposed of in general waste and being damaged and causing lethal and difficult to put out fires in both homes and waste disposal sites which is also something that needs more care and attention to be taken not only by other people but BY US, the general public.We ALL need to be more considerate and take more care.

Philippa Bond ● 15d

>As I understand it the only legal ones on the roads and in our parks are those that are part of an official hire scheme and have a max speed of 15mph.Electric scooters, yes, only official hire scheme electric scooters are premitted on the highway, you can't use a private one on the highway, but ebikes, you can buy legal ebikes and use them on the public highway, max 15.5mph pedal _assist_ ony, no throttle, max 250w continuous power on the assist).It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it.If you want to get into it here's some of the details:https://www.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/vehicle-type-approval/what-is-vehicle-type-approval/type-approval-category-definitions/#topic-title

Paul James ● 15d

You can get "ebikes" with a throttle that go up to 15.5 mph without pedaling but you have to get them type rated and approved by the DVLA, as they are motor cycles.https://www.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/vehicle-type-approval/

Paul James ● 15d

Pedal bikes have gears - from memory you might typically have between 10 and 20 or so different gear combinations to choose from.Do e-bikes have gears? I presume the answer is yes, but how do they work and how does the electrical power assistance work?

Andrew Jones ● 15d

>Do e-bikes have gears? I presume the answer is yes, but how do they work and how does the electrical power assistance work?All sorts of answers to that.Lime bikes don't have gears.My ebike has the gears in the rear hub. The motor drives the pedals around when I pedal and a long belt from front to back drives the gears in the hub around, I have a twist grip for going up and down gears (https://enviolo.com/products/#tab-manual).Some ebikes have chains and standard derailers. Some have the motor in the hub.And no doubt there are many more options all with various pros and cons!

Paul James ● 15d

Thanks.

Andrew Jones ● 15d

Something that those preferring two-wheels should also be aware of together with those of us (especially pedestrians) being plagued by people who don't know or follow the rules of the road:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-moped-and-motorcycle-training-testing-and-licensing/improving-moped-and-motorcycle-training-testing-and-licensing

Philippa Bond ● 14d

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckz7x0p73l2joI see Ealing are upping the ante. Come on Hounslow, get your act together.

Bruce Hammal ● 12d

😂😂😂

Steve Taylor ● 10d

Mmmmm. Well Kahn’s cycle free Oxford Street has been a huge success hasn’t it! “ Cyclists breaking Oxford Street traffic ban nearly every minute with no sign of finesThe Standard captured scores of cyclists breaking the rules on the second day since Sir Sadiq Khan turned the district traffic-free”. Cyclists are above the law.

Steve Taylor ● 3d