You can re-read a piece twenty times yet still send it out with a line describing Lime as “one of the biggest pirate transport operators" in the capital, rather than a "private transport operator". That's been fixed, with thanks to the readers who enjoyed spotting it!
Regarding the organised phone stealing… I was in London a few months ago and stopped for a bit of peace and quiet in a small community garden behind Tottenham Court Road - Phoenix Park I think it’s called… anyway I found a phone there and then got talking to a woman who lived in the flats overlooking the park. She said the thieves dump the phones in the bushes there throughout the day and come back for them at the end of the day in case they are arrested (they don’t want to be arrested with loads of phones on them). (I managed to reunite the phone with its owner.)
The sad state of the Tories now (dragged into a Trumpian conservative space that is predisposed to demonise big cities) is illustrated I fear by James Cleverly's 'I hate was has happened to London/my heart is in Essex', which ticks two boxes at once.
I read his response as an admission he wants to be Prime Minister and sees being associated with London as making it very difficult to get the Tory members' vote. Really sad to see as 18 years ago it wasn't a negative for Boris Johnson.
The sacred bike again- SUV is awful but Line bikes are a B menace.
Getting on a bike does not make you better or JC in Lycra- laughable adherence to traffic lights. Filmed recent on ITV London at Old St. Hundreds going through green when people crossing- grow up cyclists. Lime yet another manifestation of sainted double standards for a form of transport that the maj still do not use and thinks has its own traffic rules.
Lime are not paying the true costs required to use our infrastructure- By the way love cycling!
I think cycling through a red light and driving a massive SUV are two sides of the same coin. Same as blasting music out of a phone. All are examples of the same kind of selfishness. People who cycle through lights or drive a large SUV essentially don't care much about people other than themselves, and their safety.
1924 Traffic Act lies at the heart of the thinking that still permeates a modern TfL and that free for alls in any form of model form of transport is a menace.
It was introduced to stop unsocial practises such as punch- ups between bus crews fighting over passengers. The good of society and passengers came first and the act received cross- party support’
Given the numerous issues thrown up by a predatory invasion launched by Lime and achieved through sheer numbers, they well and truly fit the bill for full accountability, health and safety and proper tax coding. Anything else that runs in the capital does, so just because it’s an a “Green” bike, why does it not apply. Again, legislation needs to be quicker and more responsive. Blocking a pavement if we did it would soon end in a fine or intervention by local council. Yet this is exactly what Lime does every day.
Love to know what is their corporate modus operandi? Tax?
I also suspect unless something changes TfL in- house bike hire is dying.
Pirate/ Private? A reminded of the early 1920”s and Pirate bus menace. Proper regulation is urgently required. Remember unlicensed mini-cabs?
Alone last week picked up three of these extremely heavy pests off the pavement. We all know now the sound as a teenager goes past having again hacked it- Where you see Line, expect low- level youth crime.
Out of control and running on an infrastructure we ultimately pay for through road tax- what about them? Nice one Hackney and K&C.
We expect TfL to produce data as required and when requested on accidents etc Why not Lime? As its Uber backed you don’t have to be a genius to work out its business ethos, off- shore and extractive practices. Are they paying enough tax?
Regulation is on the way in a few years and that's what's interesting.
One way of looking at it is the old Uber mode; move fast, grow super fast, deal with the externalities at a later date, establish a dominant market position, then welcome regulation because you're already so big it's hard to compete. It's hard to see other London e-bike providers having Lime's scale or financial heft when the regulations do come in, so you end up with a de facto single pan-London operator.
Now, I'm a regular user of them and they're great in so many ways at getting people cycling. But that corporate process seems worth interrogating.
I'd really love to understand the legal basis through which certain areas of payment have 'cycle hire' painted on them, and then become parking spots for Lime. Surely this is done with some kind of consent from the local authority?
BTW I inadvertently discovered an huge Lime bike operations depot right next to The Den recently
Ps the ease with which they coughed up to Hackney is v revealing.
They know they are taking the p… but know full well it takes time in a democratically accountable culture to catch up with their excesses. They know this and expect the more egregious loop holes and transgressions to be eventually plugged. Part of their model: invade, swamp and let the capital eventually catch up. Meanwhile cash in! V Uber who have not forgotten TfL”s previous interventions to save the black cab from similar tactics.
The infrastucture for cycling isn't paid through road tax. Road tax barely covers the cost of the increasing number of pot holes caused by the rise of mega-SUVs like the new Range Rovers.
The main much bigger issue in London from a safety perspective, from a congestion perspective and from a road damage perspective, is the rise of the totally unnecessary and lethal large SUV. Bikes are a drop in the ocean compared to that.
You can re-read a piece twenty times yet still send it out with a line describing Lime as “one of the biggest pirate transport operators" in the capital, rather than a "private transport operator". That's been fixed, with thanks to the readers who enjoyed spotting it!
Regarding the organised phone stealing… I was in London a few months ago and stopped for a bit of peace and quiet in a small community garden behind Tottenham Court Road - Phoenix Park I think it’s called… anyway I found a phone there and then got talking to a woman who lived in the flats overlooking the park. She said the thieves dump the phones in the bushes there throughout the day and come back for them at the end of the day in case they are arrested (they don’t want to be arrested with loads of phones on them). (I managed to reunite the phone with its owner.)
Very nice of you to do that!
The sad state of the Tories now (dragged into a Trumpian conservative space that is predisposed to demonise big cities) is illustrated I fear by James Cleverly's 'I hate was has happened to London/my heart is in Essex', which ticks two boxes at once.
I read his response as an admission he wants to be Prime Minister and sees being associated with London as making it very difficult to get the Tory members' vote. Really sad to see as 18 years ago it wasn't a negative for Boris Johnson.
The sacred bike again- SUV is awful but Line bikes are a B menace.
Getting on a bike does not make you better or JC in Lycra- laughable adherence to traffic lights. Filmed recent on ITV London at Old St. Hundreds going through green when people crossing- grow up cyclists. Lime yet another manifestation of sainted double standards for a form of transport that the maj still do not use and thinks has its own traffic rules.
Lime are not paying the true costs required to use our infrastructure- By the way love cycling!
I think cycling through a red light and driving a massive SUV are two sides of the same coin. Same as blasting music out of a phone. All are examples of the same kind of selfishness. People who cycle through lights or drive a large SUV essentially don't care much about people other than themselves, and their safety.
Very nice Katie Melua reference on that last pic, there.
Totally agree.
1924 Traffic Act lies at the heart of the thinking that still permeates a modern TfL and that free for alls in any form of model form of transport is a menace.
It was introduced to stop unsocial practises such as punch- ups between bus crews fighting over passengers. The good of society and passengers came first and the act received cross- party support’
Given the numerous issues thrown up by a predatory invasion launched by Lime and achieved through sheer numbers, they well and truly fit the bill for full accountability, health and safety and proper tax coding. Anything else that runs in the capital does, so just because it’s an a “Green” bike, why does it not apply. Again, legislation needs to be quicker and more responsive. Blocking a pavement if we did it would soon end in a fine or intervention by local council. Yet this is exactly what Lime does every day.
Love to know what is their corporate modus operandi? Tax?
I also suspect unless something changes TfL in- house bike hire is dying.
Good on the councils, there is no such thing as a free ride - unless you hack it!
Pirate/ Private? A reminded of the early 1920”s and Pirate bus menace. Proper regulation is urgently required. Remember unlicensed mini-cabs?
Alone last week picked up three of these extremely heavy pests off the pavement. We all know now the sound as a teenager goes past having again hacked it- Where you see Line, expect low- level youth crime.
Out of control and running on an infrastructure we ultimately pay for through road tax- what about them? Nice one Hackney and K&C.
We expect TfL to produce data as required and when requested on accidents etc Why not Lime? As its Uber backed you don’t have to be a genius to work out its business ethos, off- shore and extractive practices. Are they paying enough tax?
Regulate!!!
Regulation is on the way in a few years and that's what's interesting.
One way of looking at it is the old Uber mode; move fast, grow super fast, deal with the externalities at a later date, establish a dominant market position, then welcome regulation because you're already so big it's hard to compete. It's hard to see other London e-bike providers having Lime's scale or financial heft when the regulations do come in, so you end up with a de facto single pan-London operator.
Now, I'm a regular user of them and they're great in so many ways at getting people cycling. But that corporate process seems worth interrogating.
I'd really love to understand the legal basis through which certain areas of payment have 'cycle hire' painted on them, and then become parking spots for Lime. Surely this is done with some kind of consent from the local authority?
BTW I inadvertently discovered an huge Lime bike operations depot right next to The Den recently
Ps the ease with which they coughed up to Hackney is v revealing.
They know they are taking the p… but know full well it takes time in a democratically accountable culture to catch up with their excesses. They know this and expect the more egregious loop holes and transgressions to be eventually plugged. Part of their model: invade, swamp and let the capital eventually catch up. Meanwhile cash in! V Uber who have not forgotten TfL”s previous interventions to save the black cab from similar tactics.
They are using the same road.
The infrastucture for cycling isn't paid through road tax. Road tax barely covers the cost of the increasing number of pot holes caused by the rise of mega-SUVs like the new Range Rovers.
The main much bigger issue in London from a safety perspective, from a congestion perspective and from a road damage perspective, is the rise of the totally unnecessary and lethal large SUV. Bikes are a drop in the ocean compared to that.