A bitter council war over rental e-bike operators has transformed two of West London's most affluent suburbs into cluttered, cycle-strewn dumping grounds, leaving residents and business owners furious. Since August 2025, Hounslow and Richmond councils have enforced rival bans, creating a chaotic divide along their shared border.
The 'Great Lime Green Wall' of West London
Hounslow Council has banned Lime bikes, permitting only Forest bikes to operate within its boundaries. Conversely, Richmond Council has banned Forest but allows Lime. This tit-for-tat policy has created what locals describe as a metaphorical 'Great Lime Green Wall' across the Thames, with piles of immobilised bikes accumulating at the boundary.
The bikes are geofenced to lose power if ridden into the 'wrong' borough, leading riders to simply abandon them at the border. This has turned areas like Kew, in Richmond but bordering Hounslow, into a dumping ground for Lime bikes. Similarly, Chiswick on the Hounslow side is now plagued with masses of Forest bikes.
Residents and Businesses at Breaking Point
In Kew, piles of Lime bikes crammed into parking bays regularly spill onto roads and pavements, blocking shop entrances and residential gates. Julie, a 53-year-old resident of five years, regularly finds bikes parked outside her home. "I'm extremely annoyed by the bikes, they are a total nuisance," she told the Mail. "People just park their bike up wherever they can."
The problem severely impacts accessibility. One resident described an elderly woman from his church who was trapped in her home because a heavy Lime bike was parked over her gate, forcing her to call for help. Local shop assistant Teem Teem, 25, said bikes are daily left in customer car parking spaces. "The problem is getting worse," he added.
Paul Street, owner of PM Flowers in Kew Village for 35 years, said converted parking bays for the bikes have hurt his trade. "It's affected my business having them take up space that customers could park in," he stated, calling for the schemes to be scrapped.
A Call for Pan-London Action
The situation is mirrored in Chiswick, where Forest bikes cause similar obstructions. Estate agent Remy Wong, 50, finds bikes left in electric vehicle charging spots, risking damage to his car. Resident Dennis Bamford, 57, said the bikes are a "nuisance," often blocking pavements and entrances for disabled residents.
Comedian Dara O Briain likened the scene around Kew and Chiswick to 'Checkpoint Charlie'. Many affected are now calling for a unified London-wide approach to e-bike regulation, with one Kew resident suggesting Mayor Sadiq Khan should intervene.
In a statement, Hounslow Council defended its procurement process and said it charges Lime for the cost of removing abandoned bikes. It highlighted the "urgent need for a pan-London approach" led by the Department for Transport and Transport for London. The Daily Mail has approached Richmond Council, Lime, and Forest for comment.
