Westminster Council secures live bike data and stricter parking rules from operators

Residents in Westminster will see stricter enforcement of dockless bike parking after the council secured an agreement with four operators to share real-time data on bike movements. The deal, struck at a summit led by council leader Paul Swaddle, requires firms to remove bikes left blocking pavements, cab ranks, or disabled bays within hours.

The council has already increased enforcement. Since May 2025, fixed penalty notices for carelessly parked bikes have risen by nearly 200%. Over the same period, 235 bikes have been seized from Westminster streets, according to council figures released on 10 October.

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Data sharing to target problem areas

Under the new agreement, operators Lime, Voi, Forest, and Bolt will feed live data into an independent platform. This will allow the council to track bike movements across its eight square miles and identify hotspots where bikes are left obstructing pavements or pedestrian crossings.

Councillor Paul Swaddle said the data would provide a clearer picture of how bikes are used in the borough. "Dockless bikes are here to stay, but badly parked bikes have proven a major headache," he said, as reported by Westminster City Council. "It’s a priority for my administration to sort this out."

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We have agreed to share data giving us a much more accurate assessment of the thousands of machines moving around the eight square miles of Westminster.

Paul Swaddle, Westminster City Council leader

Operators have also committed to relocating parking bays away from sensitive areas. Bolt’s UK policy lead, Georgia Heathman, said the firm already fines riders for poor parking and bans repeat offenders. "Badly parked bikes are a real problem for pedestrians and they should come first," she said, as reported by the council.

New parking bays planned

Westminster is exploring ways to expand parking capacity using spaces left vacant after Zipcar ceased UK operations in December 2025. The council has not yet confirmed how many new bays will be created or where they will be located.

Forest’s head of policy, Alex Berwin, welcomed the move. "One of the biggest challenges facing dockless e-bike schemes is a shortage of dedicated parking infrastructure," he said, as reported by the council. "Greater parking capacity will make it easier for riders to park responsibly."

What happens next

The council and operators will meet regularly to review progress. Swaddle said the agreement was an "encouraging start" but added that further action may be needed if the measures do not reduce obstructions. Residents can report poorly parked bikes to the council via its website or through operator apps.