Swedish e-bike operator Voi is continuing to run hundreds of bikes across the London Borough of Ealing after its agreement with the council expired at the end of July.
Ealing Council selected Lime and Forest to operate its new rental scheme, leaving three companies active in a borough that has formally chosen to work with only two.
Voi’s contract with the west London council lapsed without the company removing its fleet, and talks between the two sides are understood to still be ongoing.
The company is pushing Ealing to reconsider and allow it to continue operating under an official council agreement rather than outside the scheme.
The standoff exposes a significant weakness in the regulatory framework governing rental e-bikes across London’s thirty-two boroughs.
Unlike e-scooters, rental e-bikes currently operate without a single unified licensing system, meaning councils cannot straightforwardly prevent operators from placing bikes on public streets.
Boroughs can agree terms with companies covering parking, fleet sizes and data sharing, but those agreements do not automatically bar rival operators from entering the same area.
Harry Foskin, senior public affairs manager at Voi, said: “We are continuing to operate in Ealing while discussions with the council remain ongoing and our ambition is to find a solution that works for the council, us and, most importantly, the riders who currently rely on our shared e-bikes in the borough.”
The situation places Voi in an awkward position, given the company has previously criticised the very kind of regulatory gap it now appears to be exploiting.
Christina Moe-Gjerde, Voi’s vice president for Northern Europe, warned earlier this year that inconsistent approaches between councils were creating an “uneven playing field” across the capital.
Writing in LBC in January, Moe-Gjerde said: “Some councils have developed strict procedures to penalise companies for poorly parked vehicles or for operating more e-bikes than allowed.”
She added: “Meanwhile, in other areas, certain companies operate without council permission with seemingly little consequence.”
Foskin argued the fault lies with the system itself rather than individual operators, saying: “Developments in Ealing simply highlight the broader challenge facing micromobility in the capital.”
Voi has repeatedly called for Transport for London to take over regulation, creating a single London-wide licensing framework that would apply consistently across all borough boundaries.
“We would like to see Transport for London expedite plans for a London-wide licensing framework,” Foskin said.
The process used by Ealing to reach its decision is understood to not have given the council sufficient legal grounds to formally exclude Voi from operating in the borough.
Meanwhile, Forest announced last week it had deployed 900 bikes across West Ealing, North Acton and Southall as part of its expansion, with further areas set to follow.
A Forest spokesperson said: “As London’s only homegrown operator, we’re pleased to be expanding our service into Ealing.”
Forest has also launched its “Forest Force” programme, introducing sanctions for riders who break rules, ranging from warnings and £20 penalties through to temporary suspensions and permanent bans.
Ealing Council said it had not helped develop the initiative but would work with Forest to identify areas where it could be applied.