Lime bikes are soon to be banished from yet another London borough, as its rival Forest takes the lead in the battle of the e-bikes.
Residents in Richmond-upon-Thames, an affluent corner of south-west London, could see Lime bikes disappear, as it has been revealed that Forest are set to sign an exclusive tender with the council.
The deal, which would see Lime bikes banned from being hired or parked in Richmond, came about after Forest outbid their competitors in a formal bidding process to the local authority.
Council documents seen by the Times showed that Lime had outscored both Forest and Voi – an e-scooter competitor – on ‘service quality’ but had lost out on the pricing bid made to the council.
Richmond council’s scoring system is decided so that 25 per cent depends on a ‘concessionary fee to the council’ and the rest is made up by a judgement on user pricing.
The council papers read: ‘Officers consider the submission from Forest (as sole provider) represents the best overall proposal.’
Another document, exempt from public disclosure, sets out the exact pricing.
Councillors could choose to instruct the council to pick an alternative operator or allow more than one operator, but officials have recommended Forest’s bid. It will next be discussed at a meeting of the borough’s transport committee on Monday, March 16.
The ongoing battle of the e-bikes (pictured) could see Richmond-upon-Thames become the latest council to ban Lime bikes from being parked or hired in the borough
If the deal goes through it would be a major blow to Lime, who are currently the only providers of e-bikes in Richmond – a borough which saw over 1.5million Lime green trips last year.
It would also mean large parts of south-west London become no-go areas for Lime, since the e-bikes are currently also banned from Kingston-upon-Thames and Sutton, though both boroughs are also tendering to expand provision to have two operators.
Richmond would also become the only borough in London to have a single e-transport provider, since other councils have a minimum of two.
The latest bid for Richmond supremacy comes amid an ongoing war in the capital between Lime and Forest – the two green e-bikes battling it out in key London boroughs.
Since August 2025, Hounslow and Richmond council have been engulfed in a war over which rental bike companies are able to operate within their boroughs.
Hounslow council has banned Lime bikes and only allows Forest bikes to operate within its boundaries, while currently Richmond has banned Forest but allows Lime bikes – a ban which will likely soon be reversed.
The tit-for-tat ban of rental bikes created a metaphorical Great Lime Green Wall across the border between the two London boroughs with one operator on one side of the Thames and another operator on the other side.
The bikes lose electrical power if they cross into parts of the wrong borough – leading to riders leaving massive pile-ups of discarded cycles on the boundaries.
Pictured: Lime bikes and scooters parked up in Kew, which marks the e-bike boundary with Hounslow, where Lime bikes are also currently banned
This means that the famous Royal Gardens that surround Kew, which is within Richmond, are scattered with abandoned green electric bikes, as riders crossing the border are forced to switch their mode of transport.
Local celebrities who live in the area have even chimed in, including comedian and former Mock the Week host Dara O Briain who described the situation around Kew and Chiswick as reminiscent of ‘Checkpoint Charlie’.
A Lime spokesperson said: ‘We’ve served tens of thousands of residents in Richmond weekly since 2021, providing a hugely popular service that connects people to the rest of London.
‘We submitted a strong bid in the hope of continuing to provide this service, which was rated as the highest quality offer by the Council.
‘All other London boroughs are moving to systems with a minimum of two operators to give residents a choice of shared e-bike services in the Capital. We hope Councillors in Richmond choose to follow that model.’
They added: ‘It is important shared e-bike schemes prioritise maintaining access to high quality, popular cycle options in London, rather than reducing them.
‘This should always take precedence over financial commitments from companies, which are often unsustainable. If not, then we risk creating unpopular, dysfunctional schemes that drive down cycling rates and hinder London’s net-zero goals.’
A spokesperson for Forest said: ‘As London’s homegrown shared e-bike operator, we’re delighted to have been selected as the sole provider by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
‘This was a highly competitive and rigorous process, and we’re proud that the strength of our bid stood out.
‘Expanding into Richmond is another important step in growing Forest’s network in the capital and particularly south west London, connecting riders across Kingston, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Wandsworth.
‘Strengthening these connections makes cycling more accessible and is a positive step for sustainable transport across the city.’
E-bike policies are decided by each individual borough, although this could change if Transport for London follows through on its hopes to bring e-bike regulation into its jurisdiction should the English Devolution Bill pass into law in parliament this year.
Christina Moe Gjerde, VP Northern Europe at Voi, told the Daily Mail: ‘The continued growth of dockless e-bikes shows shared micromobility is here to stay in London.
‘But limiting services to a single provider risks worsening the issues boroughs are trying to solve, such as parking on borough boundaries and bringing consumers to local high streets.
‘Government and TfL must therefore move quickly on pan-London licensing. Delays will only worsen fragmentation and leave Londoners navigating a patchwork system.’
The Daily Mail contacted Richmond Council for comment.