E-bike riders running red lights, riding on pavements or drunk face crackdown under new laws

Dangerous e-bike riders could soon be liable for punishment under new laws designed to curb what have been described as ‘wild west’-like standards.

The new shared cycle scheme consultation will set out proposals for new rules for not only the operators of shared bike and e-bike schemes, but users, too. One of the key aims of the consultation is to crack down on antisocial riding to protect other road users – both drivers or vulnerable pedestrians. 

Under proposed new laws, local authorities will be given the power to grant licences to service providers as well as decide on and enforce rules for those riding within their constituency. Guidelines will eventually set out how those jumping red lights, riding on the pavement, ignoring traffic signals or riding drunk or underage can be fined.

How much offenders could be charged is yet to be decided, but the Department for Transport states that this “might range from anywhere from the £2 to £10 operator-led user fines agreed between the London Borough of Westminster and the shared cycle operator Lime in 2026, up to the levels of fixed penalty notices for traffic offences”. The latter range from £50 for minor offences to anything between £100-£300 for endorsable offences.

In addition, to combat the growing scourge of poor bike parking, the consultation will set out rules which require operators to ensure they organise sufficient parking areas for their fleets. While leaving a rented e-bike in a random location can already put users in line for in-app fines and charges, new rules could see operators with mass parking violations fined as well.

Commenting on the move, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “While making the big, long-term changes to make transport better and more affordable for people across the country, this is a small but important everyday fix to make our streets safer.”

As with ride-sharing schemes for cars or e-scooters, e-bike usage has exploded in recent years. A survey by sustainability services firm RSK found that one in 10 people in the UK have hired a bike or e-bike, with as many of a third of these having admitted to occasionally running red lights while doing so.

It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that in 2025, while the number of people in cars killed or seriously injured in road accidents dipped by one percent in the preceding 12 months, the number of pedal cyclists and ‘other’ road users (which includes e-scooter riders) rose by 14 per cent and four per cent, respectively.

“The ‘wild west’ approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue,” said London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. “While these services are helping thousands more Londoners to cycle, their rapid growth has also brought challenges around safety, inconsiderate parking and the lack of data needed to properly manage them.”

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