Following concerns raised by a recent Times article, I asked the City of London Corporation about the arrangements applying to Lime, Forest and Voi.
I am grateful to officers for their helpful response, which confirmed that:
– The City’s agreement with operators requires £5 million of public liability insurance
– Lime already has personal accident and third-party liability cover for riders
– Forest expects to have equivalent cover in place next month
– Voi is actively discussing both forms of cover with brokers
– Insurance and incident-reporting requirements are being considered as part of the forthcoming regulatory framework
– The City will push for these protections to be required if they are not adequately addressed nationally
There is also important work under way with the City of London Police.
At present, collision records cannot distinguish between conventional cycles, private e-bikes and rental e-bikes. The City is working with the Police to update its reporting system so that these distinctions can be captured. I have asked about the timetable and whether the revised system will also identify the relevant hire-bike operator.
This is encouraging progress. Rental e-bikes offer a useful, convenient and lower-emission way to travel, but insurance, regulation and safety data must keep pace with their rapid growth.
Riders, pedestrians and other road users should be able to expect consistent protection—regardless of which colour bike is being ridden.