Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST RELATING TO THIS ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Noted the responses received as part of community engagement on the future dockless e?bike services in Haringey, as set out in Appendix?A and the exempt information in Appendix?B.

2.    Approved the appointment of the two selected dockless e?bike providers for the provision of dockless e?bike services in Haringey for a period of two years, with the possibility of extending the contract for a further two years at annual intervals, subject to performance. This followed a completed competitive tender process, as required by CSO?12.03, recommending the suppliers who provided the most advantageous bids.

3.    Approved the Council entering into formal agreements with the selected suppliers noted in the exempt appendix to deliver dockless e?bike services in Haringey, in accordance with CSO?2.01.c, and awarded a contract for the provision of a dockless e?bike hire scheme for a period of four years from 1?April?2026 to 31?March?2030.

Reasons for decision

Since dockless e?bike hire services had begun formally operating in Haringey as part of the initial pilot scheme, dockless e?bikes had become an established mode of transport in the borough, with substantial user and journey figures that continued to increase over time.

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

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

The existing Memorandum of Understanding with the two operators—Lime Technology Ltd and Human Forest (Bikes) Ltd—had enabled the Council to understand cycling demand in the borough, track usage month?to?month, and partially regulate a previously unregulated market. Entering into a formal contract allowed the Council to set clear rules and fees to enable increased and controlled management of the e?bikes and to ensure fair pricing for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing – The Council could have chosen not to enter into agreements with dockless e?bike hire operators.

If the Council had not entered into agreements, it was likely that services would still have operated within an unregulated market, without management or governance from the Council. This lack of contractual oversight could have resulted in poor service quality, with no Council leverage to maximise benefits (including revenue generation) or mitigate issues through contractual arrangements, such as issuing financial penalties or reducing fleet size if performance was inadequate.

The current scheme running in Haringey was a fixed 24?month trial ending in March?2026. Because it was a trial, it could not be extended or replaced without undertaking a formal tender process.