Disabled people are being ‘put in danger’ by Lime bikes dumped on dropped curbs across London, a wheelchair user has said.
Ben Spencer, 51, said he sees the bikes blocking dropped curbs nearly every time he travels into the capital.
The software developer, who lives in Epping Forest, Essex, said this prevents wheelchair users from accessing the pavement when they cross the road – either forcing them to take ‘longer, more dangerous routes’ back to safety or become ‘stranded’ in traffic.
The ‘blocking’ of dropped curbs is also an issue for blind or visually impaired people, Ben added, as they are unable to look ahead before crossing the road and will only discover their route is obstructed once they are in the middle of traffic.
Ben, who has Ataxia, a neurological disorder which affects balance and coordination, decided to speak out about the Lime bike issue after a particularly challenging experience near Tottenham Court Road.
Ben Spencer, 51, (pictured) said disabled people are being ‘put in danger’ by Lime bikes dumped on dropped curbs across London
Ben said he sees the bikes blocking dropped curbs nearly every time he travels into the capital
‘I was trying to cross the road when I noticed that on the other side there were a load of Lime bikes blocking the dropped curb,’ he said.
‘This meant I could cross the road – but I would be stranded and unable to reach the pavement on the other side.
‘Frustratingly, this pavement was on a corner – and the bikes were blocking two dropped curbs.
‘There was no way I could safely cross the road.’
Her added: ‘I posted a video to Twitter because I thought, people need to understand this.
‘And it was clear from the comments, like, ‘Just go around’, that people did not understand.
‘And I get that. They don’t experience it so they don’t see the problem. I only started using a wheelchair two years ago – so I know what that’s like.
‘But if wheelchair users can’t get to a pavement – they’re in danger whenever they cross the road.
‘And for visually impaired people, they’ll be crossing the street, things will be busy, and they’ll get to the dropped curb to find their way is blocked.
‘By that point, traffic will be moving again. It’s really dangerous.’
Ben said that on this occasion, he was able to find a way around as he was with his partner. But things would have been different if he had been alone – or if a less fit wheelchair user was in his predicament, he stressed.
‘I had my partner with me so we found a solution. But most of the time I travel by myself.
‘And this is great. I want that freedom. But it means these situations are even more important to sort out.
The ‘blocking’ of dropped curbs is also an issue for blind or visually impaired people, Ben said
Ben has Ataxia, a neurological disorder which affects balance and coordination
‘It’s also worth noting that I’m very fit. I do wheelchair sports – 10ks, the London Marathon. I can lift my two front wheels.
‘But others can’t do this. And they’ll be in danger.’
Ben said he is ‘pro-bike’ and doesn’t want Lime to be banned – but is desperate for a solution to be found for disabled people.
He said: ‘Cycling is fantastic. I’m pro-bike.
‘But we need to get across issues with disability and how inconsiderate parking of Lime bikes makes it difficult for wheelchair users to even move around.
‘People need to understand, if you park there, you are stopping a disabled person from getting out of the road safely.’
Ben said he has tried to communicate with Lime about the problem before – ‘but they haven’t done anything.’ Now he is turning to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for help.
‘Lime have had so many years to sort this and they haven’t done anything,’ Ben said.
‘So now we need a stronger hand. We need legislation around dropped curbs – maybe clear lines that remind people not to park there.
Ben is seen next to a pile of Lime bikes parked on the pavement in London
‘We need to hand out fines to people who do this.
‘We need the Mayor of London and the local councils to take an approach with Lime which is essentially, ‘If you don’t fix this, we will stop you from having bikes here.’
‘And of course, we need to educate people about how to be considerate of disabled people.’
Ben explained that he often has people misunderstand his disability as Ataxia is uncommon and not widely talked about.
He explained: ‘Doctors reckon I’ve had it for 15 years but I only got diagnosed three years ago because there isn’t much research into it.
‘It’s a progressive condition so it’s been getting worse over the years.
‘I only started using a wheelchair two years ago – before that it was one stick, then two sticks, then the wheelchair.
‘But people misunderstand it. It affects my balance and coordination so people would think I’m drunk when I wasn’t.
‘It’s important there’s awareness around these types of things.’
One London borough is on the verge of banning Lime bikes over ‘inconsiderate’ parking.
Brent Council told operator Lime that all 750 dockless bikes must be gone by October 31 if its requests for improved safety measures are ignored.
It said that issues in the area include ‘inconsiderately parked’ and ‘abandoned’ e-bikes – which present problems for pedestrians on the pavement.
Responding to Ben’s concerns, a Lime spokesperson said: ‘We’re really sorry to hear about these experiences, and we never want Lime vehicles to obstruct anyone’s journey, especially those with disabilities.
‘Poor parking is an issue we take very seriously and we are committed to making London a more accessible and inclusive city for everyone, particularly as demand increases.
‘Users that break the rules and park inconsiderately are fined and banned from using our service.
‘We are working closely with councils, partners and other operators to address these issues, including identifying and offering funding from Lime to create additional dedicated parking bays.
‘We also regularly gather feedback from Sight Loss Councils and other charities on our Disability Advisory Board in order to continuously improve our operations.’
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London added: ‘We know that poor e-bike parking can cause significant safety issues for some Londoners, particularly disabled and older people.
‘Our experience from the existing e-scooter trial shows that well-managed and regulated schemes can be successful in mitigating such issues while still providing an attractive green transport alternative.
‘We are working with London Councils to explore a coordinated scheme to manage dockless e-bikes and e-scooters and additional enforcement mechanisms for poorly parked e-bikes.’