Melbourne council bans e-bikes after six-year trial

Melbourne's Yarra Council has decided to ban shared e-bikes, ending a six-year trial after operator Lime failed to take sufficient responsibility for the devices. The council voted Tuesday night to cease the trial and not award a permanent contract, as Lime was the sole bidder.

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We're getting too many e-bikes just dumped on our streets. That's a cost to council as we have to clean up, the company doesn't do it.

Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly expressed regret but highlighted the inability to secure Lime's commitment to managing dumped bikes. "We're getting too many e-bikes just dumped on our streets. That's a cost to council as we have to clean up, the company doesn't do it," Jolly told ABC Radio Melbourne. He added that dumped bikes obstruct footpaths for people using prams and wheelchairs.

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They said, 'No, we can't help' and we had no choice but to say, 'Well, unless you come to the party, we're not going to give you this tender.'

Council officers documented around 100 complaints since the trial began in 2020, primarily concerning dumped bikes, footpath riding, speeding, and tandem riding. Deputy Mayor Sharon Harrison supported the ban, stating Lime "cannot or will not manage its operations so that community members are safe on Yarra's streets." She criticized the company for "corporate cost-shifting onto Yarra's ratepayers."

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They've been given every opportunity to clean up their act and improve their game but I see no evidence of this happening.

Despite the decision, Councillor Sarah McKenzie argued for continuing the scheme, acknowledging issues but believing they could be resolved with revised terms. Data showed an average of 201 daily trips on e-bikes in the Yarra area, with about 90% of users being local residents.

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Why would we enter into an agreement for an e-bike share scheme with a multinational company which is effectively corporate cost-shifting onto Yarra's ratepayers?