Chiswick Bridge now a frontline in turf war as Richmond and Hounslow councils have licensed different operators
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cattered across pavements, propped against trees and toppled over in bushes, dozens of electric Lime bikes have begun to dominate a 200-metre stretch of road just south of Chiswick Bridge. This is the point where the motors on the hired bikes abruptly stop functioning as they cross the boundary between Richmond and Hounslow, a frontline in what residents describe as a turf war between rival companies.
While ebikes for hire have become an increasingly popular mode of transport in London, fractured regulation means customers can ride them through some boroughs with ease but find that in others they cannot ride or park them.
This has led to bikes accumulating on either side of Chiswick Bridge as customers are forced to dismount and abandon their transportation. The comedian Dara Ó Briain said in a post on X this week it had turned the bridge into “Checkpoint Charlie”.
