Decision details

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR THIS ITEM:

NONE

RESOLVED

It was recommended that Cabinet Member:

2.1. Approved the amendment to the company name from Human Forest (Bikes) Ltd to Human Forest Ltd in respect of the award of a four-year contract for the provision of dockless e-bike hire services in Haringey subsequent to the previous Cabinet Decision on the 10 March 2026 for the Award of a 4-year contract to both dockless bike operators.

Reasons for decision

·       An administrative error was identified in the 10 March 2026 Cabinet Report concerning the award of the dockless bike contract to Human Forest. In Parts A and B of the report, the incorrect company name, Human Forest (Bikes) Ltd, was used instead of the correct legal entity, Human Forest Limited, with whom the contract is intended to be entered into.

·       As a result, an updated decision was required to reflect the correct legal entity.The nature of this amendment was purely administrative and does not result in any substantive change to the original decision.

·       Since dockless e-bike hire services began formally operating in Haringey as part of an initial pilot/trial scheme, dockless e-bikes had become an

established mode of transport in the borough, with substantial user and journey figures, which have continued to increase over time.

·       The Council had engaged throughout the current trial of the dockless e-bike scheme through our online ‘Commonplace’ engagement website. A dedicated Commonplace webpage ran from February 2024 (beginning of the trial) to February 2025, seeking views from residents, businesses and other stakeholders on the benefits and barriers to the scheme and for the stakeholders to have an opportunity to suggest future parking locations. The results of this engagement were summarised in Appendix A. The Council also engaged with the Adult Social Care Joint Partnership Board and the dockless e-bikes inbox which allowed the Council to ensure that the needs of all community members are considered.

·       In September 2025, Cabinet approved the Council undertaking of a formal procurement exercise for the provision of dockless e-bike hire services.

·       The current Memorandum of Understanding with the two existing operators Lime Technology Ltd and Human Forest (Bikes) Ltd had enabled the team to understand the cycling demand in the borough and the usage they saw month to month and to partially regulate a currently unregulated market. Entering into a formal contract allows the Council to set out clear rules and set fees to enable increased and controlled management of the e-bikes and fair pricing for our residents, businesses, and visitors.

Alternative options considered

·       Do Nothing - The Council not entering into agreements with dockless e-bike hire service operators.

·       If the Council were to not enter into agreements with operators, due to the currently unregulated market, it is likely that these services would still be in operation, but without any form of management or governance from the Council. This absence of contractual agreement may result in a poor overall service, with no input or accountability from the Council to maximise benefits (including revenue generation) and mitigation of issues by way of legal contractual arrangement with the operators, including issuing financial penalties, and reducing fleet size if the operator’s performance is not adequate.

·       The current scheme running in Haringey was up to 24 months and ended at the end of March 2026. As it is a trial we cannot extend or create a new agreement without going out to tender.