Life for e-Bike Users in SW15 Gets More Complicated
Richmond ditching Lime may limit choices for cross-border rides
Forest e-bikes are now the only ones that can operate in both Wandsworth and Richmond boroughs
March 18, 2026
Richmond Council’s decision to remove Lime e-bikes from the borough and replace them with a Forest-only service is likely to have a noticeable impact on riders in Putney and Roehampton. Lime has become one of the most commonly used transport options for short cross-borough journeys. Many residents in these areas rely on Lime bikes to travel into Richmond for work, school, shopping or leisure, and the change means those trips will soon become less convenient.
Under the new arrangement, Lime bikes will no longer be allowed to start or end journeys in Richmond, and the company has indicated that it would not be viable to continue operating if bikes cannot be hired or parked there. It is likely that Lime bikes will simply stop working when crossing the borough boundary, although this has not yet been formally confirmed. For riders in SW15, this could mean having to abandon a Lime bike at the border and walk the rest of the way, or switch to a Forest bike.
The number of bikes available near the Richmond boundary is also expected to fall. Wandsworth currently licenses both Lime and Forest, but once Lime is removed from Richmond, Lime bikes will tend to cluster further away from the border because riders will be unable to end their journeys on the other side. Forest bikes will become the only option for cross-borough travel, but Forest operates a smaller fleet than Lime and requires riders to end trips in designated bays. This could lead to longer walks to find a parking bay and fewer bikes available at peak times in areas such as Putney Bridge, Upper Richmond Road, Roehampton Lane and Barnes Station.
There may also be cost implications. Lime charges a small unlock fee and a per-minute rate, while Forest uses a different model that can include parking charges unless riders finish their journey in an approved bay. For people who regularly travel between Wandsworth and Richmond, this could mean higher overall costs or the inconvenience of switching between operators. The simplicity of using a single service for an entire journey will be lost.
Lime has warned that Richmond’s decision risks creating what it calls a second “Checkpoint Charlie”, similar to the situation that emerged when Hounslow removed Lime from its borough last year. Putney and Roehampton already sit between two boroughs with different e-bike rules, with Hounslow to the west operating Forest and Voi only, and Richmond now moving to Forest alone. This means Lime riders in Putney and Roehampton will soon be bordered on two sides by areas where their bikes cannot operate.
Richmond Council has defended the decision, arguing that a single operator will provide a more consistent service across Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow, all of which will now use Forest. The council also plans to increase the number of e-bike parking bays and expand the fleet size within Richmond, saying the move will improve reliability and reduce pavement obstruction. Forest scored highest in the council’s evaluation for pricing and overall ranking, although all operators were judged similar in quality.
Written with contributions from Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter
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