There's a solution for e-bike parking chaos – but its not problem free

The provided text discusses the rise in popularity of dockless e-bikes and e-scooters in UK cities and the benefits and challenges they bring.

**Key points include:**

– **Economic benefits:** According to Ant Breach from the Centre for Cities, dockless schemes boost local economies by supporting the “agglomeration” effect. This theory suggests businesses thrive and workers benefit financially when cities are dense and easy to navigate, with frictionless travel enabling richer urban environments. Dockless e-bikes offer great flexibility for this kind of movement.

– **Concerns about pavement clutter:** Many residents feel frustrated by the visual and physical clutter caused by badly parked e-bikes and e-scooters, which often block pedestrian pavements. Examples are given from Newcastle, Colchester, Oxford, Liverpool, and south London, where people complain about the vehicles being abandoned or left obstructing walkways.

– **Disabled access implications:** Erik Matthies, who is registered blind and a policy lead at the RNIB, highlights the dangers of pavement clutter for visually impaired people. He explains how e-bikes and scooters blocking pavements disrupt the tactile cues they rely on, making navigation difficult or impossible.

– **Parking solutions and enforcement:** Operators like Voi work with councils to manage parking, including banning repeat offenders and encouraging proper parking via designated bays with GPS monitoring. However, these bays can still be painted on pavements (not roads), taking away pedestrian space. Sometimes GPS location is imprecise, so riders can avoid penalties even when parking inconsiderately.

– **Local authority response:** Councils recognize the issues and emphasize the importance of responsible riding and parking practices. Some are rolling out dedicated parking bays to mitigate obstruction, but the problem persists due to enforcement challenges and rider non-compliance.

– **Community impact:** Former police officer David Spencer describes how badly parked e-bikes damage the public realm and sense of fairness, with clusters of vehicles “breeding” at street corners, gaining a dominating presence.

**Summary:** While dockless e-bikes and e-scooters offer flexible, green transport options promoting economic benefits, their improper parking and pavement clutter present notable problems, particularly for pedestrians and visually impaired individuals. Local councils, operators, and users face ongoing challenges balancing accessibility, convenience, and public space management

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