Lime has been instructed to remove its electric hire bikes by Brent Council.

The council said that Lime must remove its dockless bikes in the borough by October 31 if it continues to ignore the council’s safety concerns regarding poorly parked and abandoned bikes.

There are currently 750 bikes within the borough since partnering with Brent in 2019, but there have been a flurry of complaints regarding dockless bikes being scattered across pavements and roads.

Brent Council said there is an “increasing number” of reports made regarding issues with these rentals, and there is often a “slow response time” by Lime to remove them.

The company has been asked to make several changes before the deadline, including introducing dedicated parking bays and a no parking zone.

It has also been asked to introduce dedicated local resources to ensure any reported bikes are dealt with swiftly and increased penalties for those parking in inconvenient spots.

The council has also asked Lime to consider providing local training and employment opportunities and community engagement events – including a Brent Resident Forum where people can share their views.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of the council, said: “Lime bikes left scattered across our streets are causing havoc for other road users, especially for pedestrians and disabled people.

“Residents have gone sour on Lime and the council is receiving repeated, regular complaints about the bikes left across paths and roads in a haphazard way.

“This is putting unsustainable pressure on council staff who are spending time cleaning up after Lime. Something needs to change as the current situation is unsustainable and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.”