Sadiq Khan vows to end London's e-bike 'Wild West' as he urges government to hand him new powers fast

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026.

Sadiq Khan has committed to a London-wide crackdown on dockless e-bike schemes, branding the current situation a 'Wild West' that cannot continue. The mayor is pressing the Department for Transport to act quickly to give him new regulatory powers over operators including Lime, Voi and Forest. Major e-bike companies have backed his push, lending commercial weight to his case for tighter controls.

Khan wants powers to compel operators to geofence bikes, cap fleet sizes and penalise firms that ignore parking rules.

Without new legislation, the mayor says he cannot force e-bike giants to comply with any London-wide scheme.

Pavement-blocking and reckless riding have fuelled public anger, with dockless bikes dumped across streets and tube station entrances.