The rise of dockless bike and e-scooter sharing schemes has been revolutionary, offering unparalleled convenience to urban commuters. The idea is simple: pick up a vehicle anywhere and drop it off wherever you please. Yet this convenience comes with a hefty price— not just for users paying up to £3 for a 10-minute ride, but for society at large.
Dockless micromobility services have left cities grappling with cluttered pavements, toppled bikes, and safety hazards. Transport for London (TfL) has had enough. Last week, they announced plans to hold operators accountable for the mess caused by their users. The proposed solution? Geo-fencing.
But will geo-fencing solve the problem?
Geo-fencing creates virtual boundaries where bikes and scooters must be parked. In theory, it sounds like a great idea: designate tidy parking zones and penalise users who leave vehicles outside them. However, the practical application raises questions:
- Accuracy: How precise are these virtual zones? Will users actually park neatly within them, or will the boundary become a dumping ground?
- Behavioural Change: Even if users park within the zones, will they bother to stand the bikes upright or ensure they don’t obstruct pathways?
- Practical Limitations: Fallen bikes and scooters are already a common sight. Geo-fencing won’t prevent vehicles from being knocked over or abandoned haphazardly within the zones.
A Docked Approach: The Santander Bikes Model
An alternative solution is to expand docked systems like London’s Santander Cycles (akin to New York’s Citi Bike). Docked schemes inherently enforce order, as users must return vehicles to specific locations.
However, docked systems are costly to implement and maintain. Even in a global city like London, Santander Bikes primarily serve central zones, leaving much of the outer city without access. Expanding such a network would require substantial investment—unlikely in the current economic climate.
The Smart Dock Solution
1. Retrofit Existing Infrastructure: We can transform any standard bike rack into a secure parking dock for shared bikes and e-scooters.
2. Cost-Effective Implementation: Retrofitting existing racks eliminates the need for costly new infrastructure, making it affordable even for operators with limited budgets.
3. Scalable for Wider Coverage: Our solution is ideal for suburban areas, business parks, campuses, and hotels—locations often underserved by existing schemes.
By offering a practical and affordable way to organise micromobility parking, we help operators like Lime, Voi, and Dott clean up their act while maintaining the convenience their users love.
A Call to Action
A well-functioning society is one where we respect shared spaces. The current free-for-all approach to dockless micromobility benefits individuals at the expense of the community. TfL’s crackdown is a step in the right direction, but it’s clear that geo-fencing alone won’t resolve the issue.
At Mosa, we’re ready to partner with operators and cities to create a smarter, tidier, and more sustainable future for micromobility. Let’s work together to keep our streets safe, our pavements clear, and our communities thriving.
The mess stops here. Who’s with us?