- Mayor working with Department for Transport to formalise powers for better-regulated dockless e-bikes in London
- New pan-London licensing framework to end patchwork of borough rules, tackle poor parking and improve safety
- Government legislation needed to enable Transport for London (TfL) licensing and consistent standards across the capital
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today (Tuesday 29 September 2026) set out his vision for the future of micromobility in London, with new powers expected to pave the way to improve regulation and safety of dockless e-bikes.
The Mayor has been calling for a London-wide licensing and regulatory framework since 2017, when dockless e-bikes first arrived in London. Although previous governments failed to act, earlier his year, he welcomed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 – which he had long called for, and which now enables the Secretary of State for Transport to give TfL statutory powers to establish a framework for dockless micromobility schemes. The legislation follows calls the Mayor has made to successive governments, with this Government taking forward the changes needed to enable TfL to establish a London-wide framework.
The new framework, backed by upcoming legislation, would replace the current borough-by-borough approach with consistent London-wide standards for rental bike schemes – helping to manage bike numbers, improve safety and parking, strengthen links to public transport, support data sharing for compliance and planning, and deliver a better experience for customers and other road users.
Further secondary legislation and Government guidance is now required before the new licensing framework can be implemented, which the Department for Transport and the Secretary of State are expected to consult on. But to speed things up, the Mayor is today setting out his ambition for TfL to use these new powers to support sustained cycling growth whilst driving up consistent and high standards for rental e-bike schemes across London, creating a safer, fairer, greener London for all.
The Mayor and TfL are developing plans for the effective management of dockless e-bikes across London once secondary legalisation has been passed, working in close collaboration with London’s boroughs. The new plan will seek to support the Mayor’s ambitions for:
- One clear set of rules across London: Replacing the current borough-by-borough patchwork of arrangements with a clear, consistent pan-London framework for parking, operations, regulation and enforcement, giving residents, riders and operators certainty wherever they travel in the capital.
- A safety clamp down: Putting safety first through strong city-wide standards that promote well-maintained vehicles, rider education, responsible behaviour and effective enforcement.
- Harnessing London's cycling boom: Making dockless bikes a seamless part of the transport network to support more sustainable journeys, with clear rules and smooth connections to jobs, homes and public transport.
- Tackling unsafe parking: Getting rid of poorly parked dockless bikes and street clutter, protecting pedestrian space, and using data monitoring to target investment and resolve issues quickly.
- Building a sustainable financial future: Encouraging innovation and healthy competition to create the conditions for a thriving micromobility market, with transparent pricing for riders, fair fees for boroughs and long-term investment in our streets.
Cycling is booming in London, with daily bike trips up 43 per cent since 2019, making it the fastest growing mode of transport in the capital by far. The Mayor and TfL have grown London’s Cycleways network fivefold over the past decade, from 90 km in 2016 to more than 450km today, providing more protected routes to support safer cycling.
Dockless e-bikes play a crucial role in London’s sustainable transport network, making cycling even more accessible and attractive for Londoners, and connecting people to jobs, homes, public transport and opportunities across the capital. TfL estimates that over one in 10 cycle journey stages were made by dockless bike in 2024, and the potential for dockless e-bikes to support even more Londoners to cycle is immense.
The Mayor and TfL are already working to address parking issues, including providing £1.7m to London boroughs this year to fund micromobility parking spaces, with over 36,000 spaces on our streets already. Later this year, TfL will publish further details of the Mayor’s vision for dockless bikes alongside other plans to make services work better in the shorter term.
However, it’s vital the Mayor and TfL are now given the powers to ensure dockless e-bikes don’t compromise safety, negatively impact other road users, or disrupt our transport network. Concerns around dockless e-bikes include poorly parked bikes creating accessibility problems for many including older and disabled people, unsafe riding, collisions, and limited protection for those injured in incidents involving hire bikes.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The ‘Wild West’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue. While these services are helping thousands more Londoners to cycle, their rapid growth has also brought challenges around safety, inconsiderate parking, and the lack of data needed to properly manage them.
“I’ve been calling for powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes since 2017, when the first schemes arrived in London, so I welcome the Government’s plans to give cities the powers they need to do this. For too long, cities have been left without the tools needed to properly manage these services, despite clear evidence that the current approach is not working.
“It’s now vital that the Department for Transport moves quickly to bring forward the secondary legislation needed to make these powers a reality. London cannot afford further delays.
“To speed things up, rather than waiting, I’m today setting out my ambitions for effective management of dockless e-bikes once secondary legislation has passed – a framework to improve safety and data sharing, tackle poor parking and create consistent standards across the capital.
“In the meantime, we will work closely with dockless operators and ensure that they engage fully with London boroughs and TfL to ensure their services work well for all Londoners, as we build a better London for everyone.”
Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Transport Strategy and Policy, said: “We welcome the legislation which will provide us with powers to regulate dockless bikes across the capital. Once we have details of the new licensing framework from the Government, we will work at pace with boroughs and other stakeholders to be in a position to take on the powers we expect to be given as a licensing authority.
“This will give us the ability to replace the current patchwork, borough-by-borough approach with a consistent London-wide licensing scheme, which will put safety first and tackle unsafe parking, while ensuring dockless bikes can continue to contribute to the capital's cycling boom. We'll be setting out detailed proposals in due course.”