Hounslow Hints at Possible Lime Bike Compromise

Discussions ongoing about allowing non-stopping journeys

Lime Bikes parked on the border between Ealing and Hounslow boroughs

September 19, 2025

Hopes are growing of a possible end to the cross-border disruption for e-bike users with Hounslow Council confirming it is in discussion with the operators of Lime bikes.

Last month the company’s machines starting powering down when entering the borough after the local authority switched to Voi and Forest.

According to a report in the Evening Standard, Lime is now seeking to overturn restrictions enforced through GPS-based geo-fencing that prevent its e-bikes from being ridden through the borough.

The policy has led to widespread frustration, with bikes abandoned at borough boundaries and journeys disrupted between neighbouring areas such as Richmond, Kingston, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Brent.

Public figures including Dara Ó Briain and Jeremy Vine have criticised the situation, likening the disruption at “Checkpoint Charlie” at Kew Bridge and Chiswick Bridge.

The Standard says that Lime has approached Hounslow Council to propose a compromise: allowing bikes to pass through the borough without enabling hires or parking within its boundaries.

A Lime spokesperson said, “We are trying to come to a sensible agreement which respects the council’s decision to work with other operators, but which makes sure it’s not harder for people to get on bikes and cycle through Hounslow.

“The key point the Hounslow contract relates to is who can deploy bikes and park bikes. We have had some conversations with the council, and we are waiting to hear back.

“We want to get to a sensible compromise. We don’t want cyclists to be arbitrarily stopped at a borough boundary that many won’t even know exists. Hounslow Council is a progressive council that has invested in increasing its cycle routes.”

Cllr Katherine Dunne, Hounslow’s cabinet member for environment and transport, confirmed that discussions are ongoing. She said, “It’s not a case of us giving permission – there’s a desire from both Lime and the council to come to a mutually acceptable decision that minimises barriers for cyclists making cross-borough trips whilst respecting the contracts in place with other operators, and guarding against abandoned e-bikes being left in the borough.”

A petition urging the council to reconsider the ban has attracted over 600 signatures, with campaigners calling the policy “incredibly inconvenient and frustrating.” It is estimated that cycling journeys in the borough have dropped by tens of thousands since the restrictions were introduced.

We have asked Hounslow Council for comment.