Richmond Council leader Cllr Gareth Roberts has shared his views on the growing debate over hireable e-bikes, questioning whether they are "a convenience or an obstruction" for residents.

Writing in a column for the Richmond & Twickenham Times, Cllr Roberts reflected on the advantages and challenges of Lime bikes, which operate in Richmond, and other hireable schemes across London.

Cllr Roberts said: "It's a curious feature of life in the 21st century that the most innocuous of issues will sometimes cause normally rational and well-balanced individuals to transform into human volcanoes, ready to erupt at any time.

"One such issue is the relatively new phenomenon of hireable bicycles."

He acknowledged the benefits of schemes in offering an alternative to cars, but also noted that careless parking can cause problems for pedestrians, especially those who are blind, partially sighted, or have mobility issues.

"Lime claim that they have strict requirements relating to how people park their bikes and, to be fair, the vast majority of Lime users do park their bikes with due consideration," he continued.

"However, the fact remains that given the number of complaints we as councillors receive, clearly not all users follow best practice."

The Council leader added that the ease with which bikes can be hacked means some users evade accountability, creating challenges for councils. One solution being discussed is a 'bay to bay' parking model, but Roberts warned this could require removing large numbers of parking spaces.

The comments come as the issue gathered national attention after Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain highlighted the "Checkpoint Charlie" effect at borough boundaries on X.

Ó Briain wrote: "Hounslow Council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others.

"So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other."

His post has been viewed more than 700,000 times.

Operators and neighbouring Hounslow council have also weighed in on the e-bike debate.

Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said: "We need a single regulatory framework, one enforcement model and one operational rulebook across the capital, whilst ensuring services support the local needs of each borough."

A Voi spokesperson added: "We're working with local leaders and TfL towards a London-wide scheme to make cross-borough journeys simpler."

Hounslow Council said a borough-by-borough approach can be confusing but confirmed it is working with TfL and neighbouring councils to make the case for a pan-London approach.

Cllr Roberts concluded his column with an appeal to riders in Richmond.

He explained: "In the meantime, if you're using hire bikes in this borough, please do ensure you park them considerately. Thank you."

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